Breaking a Super Bowl record and living the American dream wasn’t enough for former Washington Redskins player Timmy Smith, drug agents said Friday.
The running back who helped beat the Denver Broncos in 1988 at Super Bowl XXII was trafficking cocaine and living a double life as a youth counselor, said Drug Enforcement Administration officials.
Smith, 41, and his brother Chris Smith, 35, were arrested Friday morning after 20 ounces of cocaine worth $13,600 was handed off to an undercover DEA agent in Greenwood Village.
The transaction took place in the parking lot in front of the Purple Martini and the Cool River Cafe on East Belleview Avenue.
DEA agents tried to arrest Timmy Smith, officials said, but he drove over a concrete median and took off. Denver police officers arrested him 20 minutes later during a traffic stop at Quebec Street and Arkansas Avenue.
Chris Smith was arrested near where the initial transaction took place. He was in his car with his 2-year-old son. The boy was turned over to his mother.
The cocaine transaction Friday was one of several drug deals totaling $37,000 involving the Smith brothers, said Jeffrey Sweetin, DEA special agent in charge of the Rocky Mountain region.
DEA investigators say Chris Smith was transporting the drugs and Timmy Smith was taking the cocaine to buyers.
Sweetin said the case is particularly egregious because Timmy Smith had the opportunity to do better in his life. He broke a National Football League record for the most rushing yards in a Super Bowl – 204 – in Washington’s 42-10 victory over the Broncos.
“Greed does not distinguish between rich, poor, notorious, and unknown,” Sweetin said. “The Timmy Smiths of the world are not immune from greed nor are they immune from being held accountable for contributing to the degradation of our communities.”
Chris Smith, who is unemployed, was present at six of the seven drug deals that took place throughout the metro area, Sweetin said.
The investigation began in April when agents got a tip that a former NFL player was selling cocaine.
Timmy Smith is a youth counselor at the Gilliam Youth Center, a juvenile detention center in Denver. He also participated in several Denver youth football camps during the summer.
Agents have no evidence that Smith was selling drugs to children, but the investigation continues, said Karen Flowers, DEA spokeswoman.
Searches were done at Smith’s home and his brother’s.
Agents took a 1999 sport utility vehicle and a 2001 Kawasaki motorcycle from Timmy Smith’s Denver home, and a 1996 Lexus from Chris Smith’s house in Lakewood.
Drugs and other possible contraband were not found at Timmy Smith’s house, agents say, but from his brother’s house they took a loaded Glock .40-caliber handgun, plastic bags that could be used to package drugs and scales that could be used to weigh cocaine.
The Smiths were involved in some sort of cocaine ring, agents said, but how large an organization is unknown.
“There are more people out there, and there may be additional arrests,” Sweetin said.
Timmy Smith has a $97,000 tax lien, Sweetin said, but he did not elaborate.
Chris Smith has a prior misdemeanor drug arrest on record, but no conviction.
The brothers were charged with conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of the drug.
They each could face up to 10 years to life in prison and $4 million in fines if convicted.
The Smiths are being held at the Denver City Jail and have a court appearance scheduled Monday.
Denver police and the West Metro Drug Task Force were involved in the investigation.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-820-1219 or at fcardona@denverpost.com.
