Chumlee Update: ‘Pawn Star’ Cancelled Appearance, Lays Low Post-Arrest
Chumlee of Pawn Stars fame is facing 20 felony charges after he was arrested in his home on March 9. The reality star was taken into custody after police entered his home with a search warrant in connection with a sexual assault claim. Although police did not find any evidence that validated the claim, they did find drugs and weapons, which led to very serious charges.
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
“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.
Chumlee (real name Austin Lee Russell) has not released any kind of statement since he was bailed out of jail on March 10. According to the New York Daily News, he is trying to stay completely out of the spotlight at this time. He canceled an appearance in Las Vegas scheduled for March 11 (he was going to DJ at Tru nightclub) and has not posted to his social media accounts in over a month.
It is unclear if the 33-year-old has been working at the Gold and Silver Pawn shop in Las Vegas over the past couple of weeks. Chumlee is not filming Pawn Stars, as they have wrapped their 12th season and there haven’t been any plans to begin filming a new season of the popular show.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Chumlee’s fate on Pawn Stars likely rests in the hands of the justice system. Although The History Channel has not commented on Chumlee’s arrest, sources close to the network say that Chumlee’s future on the show will depend on how things play out in court. Of course, if he goes to jail, he won’t be able to film the show.
As far as that sexual assault claim goes, Chumlee has still not been charged. There have been reports that the woman who made the claims is actually an employee at Rick Harrison’s Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, according to the Inquisitr. Her name has not been released, and it is unclear what she has accused Chumlee of doing. Police have only said that the sexual assault case is still open but have not given any further details about it.
Get a Chumlee that can do both???????? pic.twitter.com/iNtTKt6mJK
— bagpipe reggie (@Beckyyybrown) April 1, 2016
Chumlee likely won’t be talking to the media about his arrest anytime soon. He has hired two attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, who have released a brief statement but haven’t given away too much information about their client’s case.
“We will be analyzing what was allegedly found and whether the alleged seizure was lawful in a courtroom, not in the media. Austin has great faith in the judicial system, as do we, and looks forward to a just resolution of this matter,” they said, as previously reported by the Inquisitr.
Additional details on Chumlee’s case likely won’t be made available until his court date. Check back with the Inquisitr for more information as soon as it becomes available.
[Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]
