NFL player from Pickering among four charged in Durham guns and gangs investigation

Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Isaiah Adams. LEFT: AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin). RIGHT: DRPS photos).

A member of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals has been charged following a Durham police guns and gangs investigation that resulted in the seizure of more than three kilograms of suspected fentanyl and a stolen loaded firearm, earlier this month.

This week, in a news release, Durham regional police said its Guns and Gangs Unit concluded an investigation into a man believed to be in possession of a firearm and involved in drug trafficking. That probe concluded back on July 17.

Police say they located the suspect and a woman inside a vehicle in Ajax, Ont., and arrested them without incident. As a result, police uncovered more than three kilograms of suspected fentanyl.

Following that discovery, officers later executed a search warrant at a Pickering, Ont., home, where another woman was arrested.

Investigators say there, they seized a loaded firearm fitted with a “prohibited overcapacity magazine,” along with a replica Uzi-style firearm. Police allege the loaded handgun had been stolen from United States, in Georgia.

In addition, police say a fourth suspect also turned himself in two days later.

Among those charged is Isaiah Derrick Adams, 25, of Pickering, an offensive lineman with the Arizona Cardinals. He is charged with possession of a firearm obtained by crime, possession of a restricted or prohibited firearm without a licence, possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a prohibited device.

Also charged are:

• 25-year-old Jaelin Jared Gamble, of Pickering, charged with possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl).
• 32-year-old, Natasha Marie Rotta, of Ajax, charged with possession of a Schedule I substance for the purpose of trafficking (fentanyl).
• 27-year-old, Allyson Mae Adams, of Pickering, charged with possession of a firearm obtained by crime, possession of a restricted or prohibited firearm without a licence, possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a prohibited device.

None of the charges have been proven in court. Police say all four were held for bail hearings.

Meanwhile, in a statement provided to CP24, Adams’ lawyer, Adam Weisberg, said that his client is “completely innocent in this matter.”

“He had no knowledge of any firearm, and he will be fully exonerated,” he said.

The Cardinals also issued a statement to several media outlets, saying they were “aware” of the incident.

“Out of respect for the process, we will refrain from commenting further at this time,” they wrote.

Adams played high school football at Father Donald MacLellan Catholic Secondary School in Ajax. He was selected by the Cardinals in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

With files from CTV News’ Alex Arsenych and TSN