Patriots' Patrick Chung Indicted on Cocaine Possession; Arraignment in August

New England Patriots safety Patrick Chung was indicted by a Belknap County grand jury in New Hampshire on Aug. 8 on a charge of cocaine possession June 25, though he was not arrested at the time.

Michael Mortensen of the Laconia Daily Sun reported the news Thursday and noted Chung is scheduled for an arraignment hearing in Belknap Superior Court next Wednesday.

Raul Martinez of NBC Boston revealed additional details:

The Patriots released a brief statement on the news, saying: "We are aware of the reports regarding Patrick Chung. We will not be commenting while his judicial proceedings take place."

The indictment states the NFL player "did possess or have under his control a quantity of the controlled substance cocaine," per Mortensen. Kevin Morrow, the police chief in Meredith, New Hampshire, told the Laconia Daily Sun there's no booking photo available since Chung was not arrested.

Per Mortensen, public records show the 32-year-old Jamaica native owns residences in both Meredith and Foxborough, Massachusetts, the home of the Patriots.

Court records state Chung is scheduled to attend the arraignment, but an attorney can petition to appear on his behalf, though no lawyer was listed in the filing, per Mortensen. The charge against him carries a potential prison sentence of 3.5 to seven years.

New England selected Chung in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft out of the University of Oregon. He left the Patriots to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013, but he spent just one season with Philly before returning to the Pats in 2014.

The safety signed a one-year contract extension in April to stay with the Patriots through the 2021 season. He has recorded 727 total tackles, 53 passes defended and 11 interceptions in 140 career regular-season games, and he's won three Super Bowl titles with New England.