P.J. Hairston, the leading scorer for the North Carolina Tar Heels basketball team last season was arrested for speeding in a rental car on May 13th, and police found marijuana in the vehicle. New reports have sprouted, however, that Hairston's issues may go beyond the May offense.
The car Hairston was caught speeding in was registered to a woman named Catinia Farrington, who shares a home address with former felon Hadyn Thomas. Thomas claimed he does not know Hairston, and he had lent the car to Miykael Faulcon, a passenger in the car along with a third man, Carlos Sanford. All three men in the car were charged with possession of marijuana. Police also found a .9mm handgun in the car rented to Thomas.
Thomas, in addition to denying that he even knows Hairston has said he is not a North Carolina booster and does not have any connections with sports agents.
New reports are contradicting Thomas' claim of not knowing the Tar Heels shooting guard, however, because proof Hairston driving another car rented by Thomas has come up. The car police found the marijuana and firearm in, a 2012 Chevy Camaro, cost Farrington and Thomas $5,717.47 during "two separate rental periods lasting from March 25 through April 15 and April 25 through June 17," according to a USA Today report.
This new information could mean Hairston is in violation of NCAA bylaw 16.02.3 which states "any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution's athletics interest to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete's relatives or friends a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation."
That bylaw also states that penalty can be avoided if "receipt of a benefit by student-athletes, relatives or friends is not a violation of NCAA legislation if it is demonstrated that the same benefit is generally available to the institution's students, relatives or friends or to a particular segment of the student body (e.g. foreign students, minority students, etc.) determined on a basis unrelated to athletics ability."
Hairston scored 14.6 points per game last season and shot 40 percent from 3-point range. The Tar Heels have said they are "aware" of the situation and would issue a statement when "when we have enough information to do so."
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