A Brooklyn judge on Wednesday shot down former NBA star Sebastian Telfair’s bid to toss the weapons possession case against him.
Telfair’s defense attorney had argued his client’s car was improperly searched by police who pulled him over on suspicion of smoking marijuana, spotted a joint on the truck’s center console and then subsequently found a cache of weapons in his car.
But Acting Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice John Hecht said he found the officer’s probable cause account credible, and declined to throw out the charges.
The Brooklyn-born hoopster, who played for eight different NBA teams before he signed with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China, was arrested alongside a friend after leaving the Milk River Club in Crown Heights in June 2017.
The cops approached his blue Ford F-150 pickup because he’d failed to turn on his headlights, and said they searched the car because of a strong weed odor and discovered the burned down joint.
Following Telfair’s arrest, officers processing the car discovered three loaded pistols, a gas-operated submachine gun, ammunition, extended magazine and a ballistic vest.
Defense attorney Ed Hayes had tried to convince Hecht that the search that uncovered the guns was improper, because none of the officers testified they had seen the roach prior to searching the car.
But the judge said he felt the officers had probable cause to scour the vehicle, and told the parties to return in December for trial.
Telfair faces up to 15 years behind bars if convicted.