Over the course of a dramatic escalation stemming from a March raid on his Las Vegas home, Austin Lee Russell—known to fans as Chumlee—is set to accept a plea deal that could spare him from serving any jail time. According to court filings and statements made during a hearing, Russell will plead guilty to one count of attempted possession of a controlled substance. As part of the agreement, he’ll surrender all the drugs and firearms confiscated during the search, comply with three years of probation, and undergo mandatory counseling or treatment.
These terms align with the overarching structure of the deal, aiming to resolve the criminal case without prison time. The raid, executed on March 9, resulted in the seizure of 12 firearms, a gallon-sized bag of marijuana, a small quantity of methamphetamine, and prescription anxiety medications, including Xanax. The police were initially acting under a warrant related to a sexual assault probe, but no charges were ever filed in connection to that allegation. Russell has not been charged in any sexual assault case—that investigation ended without further legal action. Instead, the criminal proceedings now focus solely on the drug and weapons-related offenses uncovered during the search. Crucially, the plea deal allows for a conditional dismissal of the felony weapons charge—but only if Russell fully complies with all terms of probation and avoids any further legal trouble. If he meets these conditions, by 2019, the felony will be dropped, leaving him with only a misdemeanor conviction on his record. If he fails to meet the terms, Taylor faces 2 to 5 years in state prison on the weapon possession count. The next court date is scheduled for June 1, when Russell will officially enter his plea before the Clark County District Court. If approved by the judge, the agreement will stand, and the stipulated conditions will commence.
