Former Michigan State basketball star Keith Appling arrested after heroin is found in car

Darcie Moran | Detroit Free Press

Former Michigan State University basketball star Keith Appling is facing drug charges.

The Detroit native, 28, was arrested Feb. 8 after being stopped by police in Warren, Michigan, according to Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer. Appling was pulled over after officers saw his vehicle weaving in and out of lanes, Dwyer said.

A golf ball-sized amount of heroin – 19 grams – was found in a sandwich bag in a pocket of the car, Dwyer confirmed to the Free Press. Appling was charged with delivery or manufacture of less than 50 grams of a controlled substance and driving without a license.

He was arraigned Wednesday, released on bond and is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 25.

Appling played played for MSU from 2010-2014 and had a short stint with the NBA. Then legal trouble got in the way. He was sentenced to jail in 2017 for carrying a concealed weapon and resisting and obstructing a police officer. Following his incarceration, he played basketball abroad.

He was listed as a team player for Italy’s Bakery Piacenza in March 2019 but was not listed on the roster for 2020.

Contact Darcie Moran at dmoran@gannett.com.