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 Irsay, 55, who was arrested in the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel
in March after a traffic stop, will be on probation for a year but
will not go to jail under the plea agreement. He was sentenced to 60
days in jail with all but two days suspended and was given two days
credit after his arrest, the Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney's
Office said in a statement.
Following his guilty plea, the NFL suspended Irsay for the team’s
first six regular-season games and fined him the maximum $500,000
for violating the league’s Personal Conduct Policy.
In a letter to Irsay, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, "I have
stated on numerous occasions that owners, management personnel and
coaches must be held to a higher standard than players.
"We discussed this during our meeting and you expressed your support
for that view, volunteering that owners should be held to the
highest standard."
Irsay issued a statement saying the arrest had "opened my eyes to
issues in my life that needed addressing and helped put me on the
path to regain my health."
"I acknowledge the mistake I made last March and stand responsible
for the consequences of that mistake, for which I sincerely
apologize to our community and to Colts fans everywhere," he said.
"Please know I am firmly committed to staying on my path to good
health and I look forward to a great season."
During the suspension, which begins at 5 p.m. EDT on Wednesday,
Irsay will not be allowed at the club's facility, may not attend
practices or games and may not conduct media interviews or engage in
social media regarding any NFL matters.
As part of his plea agreement, Irsay will be required to provide
current prescriptions for medications he is prescribed upon request
and to complete a rehabilitation program he has taken part in since
March, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said the plea agreement was typical for a first-time
offense in the county for operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Laboratory tests had detected the pain killers hydrocodone and
oxycodone in Irsay's blood, prosecutors said.
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In March, police stopped Irsay for driving at a slow pace, stopping in the
roadway and failing to signal a turn and arrested him after he failed
roadside field-sobriety tests.
He was charged preliminarily with operating a vehicle while intoxicated
and four counts of possession of a controlled substance. Irsay checked
himself into a healthcare facility after he was released following his
arrest.
Irsay, whose net worth is about $1.7 billion, according to Forbes
magazine, was charged formally in May with one count of operating a
vehicle while intoxicated and one count of operating a vehicle with a
Schedule I or II controlled substance or metabolite in the body, both
misdemeanors.
The second count was dropped under the plea agreement.
The announcement of the suspension of a team owner came less than a week
after the NFL, stung by a public uproar from critics who said it was too
lenient on a player accused of assaulting his fiancee, announced
stricter penalties for domestic violence. Players now will receive a
six-game ban for a first-time violation of the league's policy and an
indefinite ban for a second violation.
(Reporting by David Bailey in Minneapolis; Additional reporting by Steve
Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by Bill Trott)
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