Chumlee Arrest Update: ‘Pawn Stars’ Fate Rests In The Hands Of The Justice System
Chumlee was arrested last month after police raided his Las Vegas-area home and found 12 guns (eight unregistered) and a slew of drugs ranging from marijuana to meth. Chumlee (real name Austin Lee Russell) was accused of sexual assault days before police obtained a warrant to search his home to look for clues that would support the claim. What they found instead, however, landed the reality star behind bars.
Chumlee, of ‘Pawn Stars’ fame, had 12 handguns and vault with narcotics https://t.co/j5xlQlhJa5 pic.twitter.com/qmfU12uHhA
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) March 15, 2016
Chumlee is facing 20 felony charges and is expected to appear in court on May 23. His attorneys have spoken out about the case and say that they look forward to “resolving” it. Chumlee, however, has not released a public statement about his arrest or these charges being brought against him.
“Police said 12 guns were seized, ranging from handguns to a shotgun and assault-style MP5 and.223-caliber rifles. Four of the handguns were registered to Russell, the report said. Most of the weapons were found in a bedroom vault safe, along with 17 multi-dose ‘bars’ of the anxiety drug Xanax and seven capsules containing small amounts of methamphetamine, police said. One loaded.45-caliber handgun was found in a master bedroom nightstand drawer,” according to the Associated Press.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Chumlee has not been charged in the sexual assault case. Police say that the case is still open, but that they have not obtained enough evidence to press charges. At least one report has indicated that the woman who made the claim is an employee at the Gold and Silver Pawn in Las Vegas (where Pawn Stars is filmed). Her name has not been released, however, and it is unknown if she has been on Pawn Stars in the past or if fans of the show would recognize her.
A big question on the minds of Pawn Stars fans is whether or not Chumlee will be back on the show for a 13th season. According to People Magazine, the network has not responded to Chumlee’s arrest or his legal issues.
“They are just letting the justice system play out for right now,” a source close to The History Channel said. The source also said that producers have not started filming another season of the show, nor have they even talked about when a 13th season might air. They reportedly have a lot of footage “banked” that could possibly be used to start a new season of the show.
Chances are, if Chumlee is convicted of these crimes he’s been accused of, The History Channel will not allow him to be on the show anymore. If he’s in jail, that wouldn’t even be much of a question. Whether or not shop owner Rick Harrison will keep Chumlee on his payroll is another question.
Harrison is the only person who has spoken out publicly on Chumlee’s arrest. He voiced his support for his employee in a brief statement.
“We don’t have details yet, but we are here to help Chumlee any way we can,” he told Fox News after Chumlee was taken into custody. He has not released any other statement since.
Chumlee spent one night in jail before being released on $62,000 bail. Few details about the case have been released since the initial reports of his arrest. More information is expected to surface after Chumlee faces these charges in court.
Are you a fan of Chumlee? Do you hope that he remains able to participate in filming Pawn Stars? Do you think he will end up going to prison?
[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]
