Ex-College Basketball Player Could Face Death Penalty After Cannabis Candy Arrest

Former college basketball player Jarred Shaw could face the death penalty after he was arrested in Indonesia for allegedly smuggling cannabis-infused candy into the country.

The 6’11” forward/center — most recently a member of the Indonesian Basketball League’s Tangerang Hawks — was taken into custody on May 7 after police received a tip from airport customs that Shaw received a suspicious package from Thailand.

Law enforcement raided Shaw’s apartment in Tangerang regency and said they seized 132 candies laced with cannabis.

A video circulating on social media reportedly shows Shaw yelling for “help” while getting arrested by police.

“An offense involving candies containing Delta 9 THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) implicating basketball athlete JDS was handled by the Narcotics Unit of Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police,” airport police chief Ronald Sipayung said.

Unfortunately for Shaw, cannabis in all forms is illegal in Indonesia … a country with some of the strictest drug laws in the world.

Shaw, 34, can face severe consequences, including the death penalty or life imprisonment.

The Dallas native played college basketball at Oklahoma State and Utah State and was selected by the Santa Cruz Warriors in the 2015 NBA Development League Draft.

Shaw transitioned to the Indonesian Basketball League … playing for several teams, including the Hawks, where he signed last year. Following the arrest, the Hawks released him.

“We don’t tolerate players, administrators, or anyone in the field involved in drugs,” IBL chairman Budisatrio Djiwandono said.