Jarred Shaw — a 35-year-old American basketball player from Dallas, Texas — is facing life in prison or death (execution by firing squad) after being arrested in Indonesia in possession of over $400 worth of THC (cannabis) gummies.
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Unlike fellow American basketball player Brittney Griner — who was imprisoned in Russia for 10 months in 2022 for possessing cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage — Shaw hasn’t received too much attention in his case.
In Griner’s case, she was arrested in February 2022 after Russian customs officials claimed they found hashish oil, or vape cartridges, in her carry-on luggage at an airport. From there, Russian officials said they opened up a drug trafficking investigation into the American baller, who then played for the Phoenix Mercury.
During the WNBA’s offseason, she was competing overseas. She had played for the UMMC Ekaterinburg for about seven years alongside other American women’s basketball stars. In August 2022, Griner was found guilty on drug charges, facing up to 9 1/2 years in prison.
However, after a grueling 10 months behind bars, which included spending her 32nd birthday in lockup, Griner received help from Joe Biden. She was released from her Russian prison after a one-for-one prisoner swap deal. In December 2022, Russia released Griner as the United States released convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout. She officially returned to U.S. soil on December 9. By February 2023, she had returned to the WNBA after signing a 1-year deal, rejoining the Phoenix Mercury.
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American Basketball Player Jarred Shaw Facing Life Or Death In Indonesia Over $400 Worth Of THC Gummies
In Jarred Shaw’s case, he’s facing life or death after a drug arrest in Indonesia. Shaw, who’s been playing ball overseas, stepped into the lobby of his apartment complex in May. He went to collect a package containing illegally imported cannabis gummies. There was about 132 pieces in the package, worth over $400.
He believed that the medicine he uses to treat his Crohn’s Disease had arrived. Which it did, but it also came with 10 undercover police officers ready to arrest him. Shaw, a former Utah State Basketball player, was taken into custody and is now facing the possibility of life behind prison bars or the death penalty.
Prior to his arrest, Shaw was a key member of Prawira Bandung. The team notably won a championship in the Indonesian Basketball League (IBL) in 2023. Over three seasons in the country, Shaw has scored more than 1,000 points.
However, Shaw’s time on the court has now been cut short as he awaits a court hearing in a pre-trial detention center outside Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. He is now also banned for life from the IBL.
American Basketball Player Jarred Shaw Speaks Out After Indonesian Arrest Over $400 Worth Of THC Gummies
Speaking with The Guardian, he admitted he “made a stupid mistake.” However, he insists that it should not warrant the death penalty or life in prison. He shared:
“I use cannabis as a medicine. I have an inflammatory condition called Crohn’s disease that’s incurable. There’s no medicine apart from cannabis that stops my stomach from aching… I made a stupid mistake. There’s people telling me I’m about to spend the rest of my life in prison over some edibles. I’ve never been through anything like this.”
Shaw said that in the first two months following his arrest, he was at “the lowest point in [my] life.” He added that he was in a “really dark mental place.” Shaw, who’s 6-foot-11-inches, talked about the early days in his cramped cell. He recalled, “I felt helpless and alone, I didn’t want to wake up again.”
But, he began to feel like himself again through faith, prayer, and going to the prison gym. He said, “I just turned 35 but I still feel young.” The baller, who’s also played in Turkey, Thailand, Tunisia, Japan, and Argentina, added, “I would love to continue my basketball career.”
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