A member of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals has been charged with weapons offences following a Durham police guns and gangs investigation that resulted in the seizure of a stolen loaded firearm and more than three kilograms of suspected fentanyl.
Isaiah Derrick Adams, 25, of Pickering, is among four people facing charges in connection with the investigation.
An offensive lineman with the Cardinals, Adams is charged with possession of a firearm obtained by crime, possession of a restricted or prohibited firearm without a licence, possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a prohibited device.
Adams is not facing any drug-related charges.
“Isaiah is completely innocent in this matter,” Adams’ lawyer, Adam Weisberg said in a statement provided to CP24. “He had no knowledge of any firearm, and he will be fully exonerated.”
In a news release issued earlier this week, Durham regional police said its Guns and Gangs Unit concluded an investigation into a man believed to be in possession of a firearm and involved in drug trafficking on July 17.
Police say they located the suspect and a woman inside a vehicle in Ajax, Ont., and arrested them without incident. As a result, police uncovered more than three kilograms of suspected fentanyl.
Following that discovery, officers later executed a search warrant at a Pickering, Ont., home, where another woman was arrested.
Investigators say there, they seized a loaded firearm fitted with a “prohibited overcapacity magazine,” along with a replica Uzi-style firearm. Police allege the loaded handgun had been stolen from the United States.
In addition, police say a fourth suspect also turned himself in two days later.
The other people charged alongside Adams are:
- 25-year-old Jaelin Jared Gamble, of Pickering, charged with possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl).
- 32-year-old, Natasha Marie Rotta, of Ajax, charged with possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl).
- 27-year-old, Allyson Mae Adams, of Pickering, charged with possession of a firearm obtained by crime, possession of a restricted or prohibited firearm without a licence, possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a prohibited device.
None of the charges have been proven in court. Police say all four were held for bail hearings.
The Cardinals, for their part, issued a statement to several media outlets, saying they were “aware” of the incident.
“Out of respect for the process, we will refrain from commenting further at this time,” they wrote.
Adams played high school football at Father Donald MacLellan Catholic Secondary School in Ajax. He was selected by the Cardinals in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
With files from CTV News’ Alex Arsenych and TSN
