Former New York Giants offensive lineman, Jeff Hatch, is not only set to be jailed for dealing drugs, he also might be the reason behind Vice President Mike Pence cancelling one of his trips.
According to Politico, Hatch, who was a third-round pick of the Giants back in 2002, was busted with 1,500 grams of fentanyl totaling more than $100,000 back in 2017. He ended up pleading guilty to one charge on Friday.
Hatch was able to get a more lenient sentence after helping authorities arrest other drug dealers. As a result, he was charged with one count of using a phone to help commit a crime, and now faces up to four years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
So, where did Hatch and the Vice President of the United States almost cross paths? At an opioid addiction treatment center in New Hampshire where Hatch worked, ironically enough.
The meeting almost took place earlier this month and was for an event to address the opioid crisis in New Hampshire, but Pence ultimately cancelled the trip. Hatch could have been the reason for that cancellation, per Politico.
Jeff Hatch, who agreed in federal court Friday to plead guilty and will face up to four years in prison, works for an opioid addiction treatment center in southern New Hampshire that Pence was set to visit. A former New York Giants player, he has spoken publicly for years about his own challenge with drug and alcohol addiction, which ended his football career.
It appears that center isn’t sending its best.
The CEO for Granite Recovery Centers where Hatch worked, Eric Spofford, had no idea the ex-Giant had plead guilty to drug charges.
“I am shocked and disappointed to learn today that Jeff Hatch has pled guilty to a drug offense. Granite Recovery Centers terminated Jeff’s employment today immediately upon learning about this matter,” Spofford said.
That’s right, the opioid addiction treatment center had no clue Hatch was literally a drug dealer facing prison time. You cannot make this stuff up.
Just when you thought the story of an ex-Giant turning into a drug dealer couldn’t get any crazier, Hatch upped the ante by working for a drug treatment center, and almost met Vice President Pence in person.
Hatch’s NFL career was brief. He played and started in four games for the Giants in 2003. Hatch has claimed in the past that his addiction to drugs and alcohol helped end his career prematurely.
