- US Shoppers Spent Less Over Black Friday: NRF
- UAE Central Bank Stands by Banks Amid Dubai Crisis
- UAE Markets Seen Limit Down on Monday Open
- Banks With The Biggest Exposure to The UAE
- Dubai's Debt Woes Signal New Era for Creditors
- A Weak IPO Debut for Las Vegas Sands' Macau Unit
- US Treasury Wants Banks to Do More to Ease Mortgages
- Tiger Woods Accepts Full Blame for Car Crash
- Next Week: Cash In Now Or Wait For A Santa Rally?
- Portfolio Prep for Next Week: 'Don't Get Crazy'
- U.S. Stocks Fall on Dubai Worries
- Black Friday at Best Buy
- Strategists on Dubai: Avoid 'Rash Moves' Now
- Longer Lines, Fuller Carts This Black Friday
- Dubai Stock Market Fear Has 'Legs': Dennis Gartman
- Obama's Emission Reduction Pledge Paints Future for Autos
- Is Super Bowl Halftime Act Too Old?
- Surprising Options Trades in TiVo Shares
MOST SHARED
- US Shoppers Spent Less Over Black Friday: NRF
- South Korea Sees Exports Bouncing, but Risks Remain
- Japan Won't Intervene to Weaken Yen: Finance Minister
- Fed Audit Would Hurt Economic Prospects: Bernanke
- Japan Industrial Output Edges Up But Yen May Weigh
- Tiger Woods Wants to Protect Family Privacy: Agent
- Topless Business Is Taking Off
Text Size 
A South Carolina sheriff said Monday he was not going to charge swimmer Michael Phelps after a photo of the 14-time gold medalist showed him smoking from a marijuana pipe.
 |
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said he couldn't ignore the photo but defended his investigation.
"Michael Phelps is truly an American hero ... but even with his star status, he is still obligated to obey the laws of our state," Lott said.
The photo showed Phelps smoking from a marijuana pipe at a party in November when he visited the University of South Carolina.
Phelps has called his judgment bad and said he would learn from his mistake.
USA Swimming suspended Phelps for three months in the wake of the photo, and Kellogg Co. said it would not renew its endorsement deal with him.
The photo surfaced in a British newspaper, News of the World, on Feb. 1. The swimmer, who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, did not dispute its authenticity.
News of the World said the picture was taken during a party while Phelps was visiting the university. During that trip, he attended one of the school's football games and received a big ovation when introduced to the crowd.
The party occurred nearly three months after the Olympics while Phelps was taking a break from training, and his actions should have no impact on the eight golds he won at Beijing. He has never tested positive for banned substances.
This isn't the first embarrassing episode for Phelps after an Olympic triumph. In 2004, a few months removed from winning six gold and two bronze medals in Athens, the swimmer was arrested on a drunken driving charge at age 19. He pleaded guilty and apologized for the mistake.
Print
Email
- These four sectors will be the next to lead the market.
- Zhu Zhu Pets are this year's must-have toy, fetching $40 or more on eBay.
- From the why-didn’t-I-think-of-that file, we present Jason Sadler, a man whose job is wearing T-shirts.
- It may be the most unusual guide to business you'll read.
- Shopping for a gadget hound? The choices can be baffling. Here are a few that should be a hit.
- "The Who" will be the halftime act for Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 7 in Miami. Is the NFL behind the times?
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes