Darius Rucker Receives Sentence Following February Drug Arrest

Back in February, police arrested Darius Rucker in Franklin, Tennessee, for a minor drug offense. Seven months later, the case has reached its conclusion.

Darius Rucker Appears in Court on Drug Charges

Darius Rucker appeared in a Williamson County courtroom Tuesday (Sept. 10) for the conclusion to his arrest earlier this year. The Hootie and the Blowfish frontman pleaded no contest to simple possession to simple possession, The Tennessean reported.

[RELATED: Hootie & the Blowfish Fans Take to Social Media to Defend Darius Rucker Following Drug Arrest]

Presiding Judge M.T. Taylor accepted Rucker’s plea, handing down his sentence. The “Wagon Wheel” singer must serve 11 months and 29 days on probation. As part of the arrangement, Taylor agreed to drop two other charges—for simple possession and expired registration. The Williamson County District Attorney’s Office recommended that the judge drop these charges due to Rucker’s “good character.”

Why Was He Arrested?

The charges stemmed from a February 2023 incident in which police pulled over Rucker for an expired license plate at Murfreesboro Road near Breckenridge Drive in Franklin, according an arrest affidavit.

Upon noticing the scent of marijuana, officers searched the car, discovering 14 purple pills and a black vape pen that read 88.5% THC. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation later determined that the pills contained psilocybin, according to The Tennessean.

According to the affidavit, Russell told police that those items came from his girlfriend and claimed he did not know what the purple pills were. The “Wagon Wheel” singer then pulled out what cops called a blunt and told them it was marijuana.

The Tennessean reported that Rucker turned himself in and was booked in Williamson County Jail on Feb. 1.

Darius Rucker Was “Shocked” By Drug Arrest

Darius Rucker told People magazine in May 2024 that he didn’t learn of the charges against him until a year after police stopped him.

“I mean, I looked back at that and I was like, ‘I got stopped by a police officer and I had a little bit of pot, and I think a little bit of some mushrooms or something in the car, and he let me go,’” Rucker said. “And a year later I got a phone call from a buddy that said, ‘I think I just saw an arrest warrant for you.’ It shocked me.”

Although he theorized that someone “wanted to make an example out of me,” the GRAMMY winner said he was cooperating fully. “I’m handling it with my lawyers, and paying the price, and we’ll move on with our lives,” he told People.

Featured image by Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock