Texas music artist Tanner Usrey was arrested on Monday, March 30th in McKinney, Texas, and charged with DWI (2nd offense), as well as two felony drug possession charges. According to online records, Collin County Magistrate Lisa Bronchett presided over an initial hearing on March 30th, and set bond conditions and also ordered an ignition interlock device for Tanner’s vehicle.
Usrey subsequently posted a $12,500 bond and is currently awaiting his next court date.
On Thursday afternoon, Usrey’s management responded to a request by Saving Country Music for comment on the arrest, and sent the following statement from Tanner. The statement was also added to the original article about Usrey’s arrest.
This past Monday morning, after attending a birthday party, I was arrested for possession of drugs and a DWI. I know situations like this can be disappointing, and I take responsibility for putting myself in a position where this could happen.
There has been speculation that I was arrested for possessing fentanyl or fentanyl-laced substances. Because this is an ongoing legal matter, I’ve been advised to keep my comments limited. What I can say is that fentanyl is an extremely dangerous and deadly drug, and its impact on this country is undeniable.
At no time have I knowingly possessed or ingested fentanyl, and I would never condone that behavior. The substances involved are currently being tested, and their exact contents will be determined through that process. I have no reason to believe the results will show the presence of fentanyl, and I would be genuinely surprised if they did. That said, if fentanyl were to be detected, I would view this situation as a blessing in disguise, one that may have ultimately protected me from something much worse.
I’m grateful for the support, prayers, and patience many of you have shown me. I don’t take that for granted. My focus right now is on learning from this, making better decisions, and coming out the other side a better man.
I truly appreciate you all, and I look forward to seeing you at the next show.
The reporting about fentanyl being part of the arrest stems from the booking record that shows the three charges Usrey is facing. The second charge reads “POSS CS PG 1/1-B>=4G
The second charge refers to “Penalty Group 1” in Texas law that includes cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, opium, and oxycodone. The “1-B” qualifier added to the charge denotes fentanyl and fentanyl-derived substances. The 1-B group was added to Texas’ Health and Safety Code in 2021 due to the rise of fentanyl deaths.
Some have questioned whether the second charge is specifically denoting that fentanyl is suspected, or if it is just part of the broader drug class that the charge falls under. According to law enforcement officials who spoke to Saving Country Music, if fentanyl was not suspected or tested for, the “1-B” qualifyer would customarily not be included on the charge. In Taste of Country‘s coverage of Usrey’s arrest, they concluded similarly.
However, Tanner Usrey’s management asserted to Saving Country Music, “POSS CS PG 1/1-B” is the full name of the category, meaning the charge is for possession of a drug in class 1 or 1-B,” meaning it could also mean Usrey is being charged for cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, opium, and oxycodone, without fentanyl being involved.
There is also the possibility that Usrey could have been in possession of a drug unknowingly laced with fentanyl as he says in his statement. It could also be the results of a false positive from a field test, or it could be an outright clerical error on the part of McKinney Police or Collin County.
It goes without saying that Tanner Usrey should be presumed innocent until proven guilty, irrespective of the drugs he’s being charged for being in possession of.
Saving Country Music reached out to the McKinney Police Department on Wednesday morning (4-1) to attempt to clarify what specifically Usrey had been charged for being in the possession of. However, McKinney Police refused to comment, and instead insisted an open records request must be filled out for further information. That request was filled out and submitted Wednesday morning, but can take up to 10 business days to fulfill.
After receiving Usrey’s statement, Saving Country Music reached out to McKinney Police again to try and clarify the “1-B”/fentanyl charge, but they again refused to comment.
The second drug charge Tanner Usrey faces is for possession of between 4-200 grams of a Group 2 drug, which includes MDMA, psilocybin, amphetamines, and THC concentrates. It is also a 2nd degree felony.
Though much of the attention has focused on the fentanyl charge (or lack thereof), and the other drug charge, a 2nd DWI is also a serious matter for Usrey.
Second DWI in Texas is a Class A misdemeanor with severe penalties, including a required 30 days in jail, up to one year, and up to $4,000 in fines. It also comes with a driver’s license suspension of 6 months to 2 years. Probation is possible, but usually requires at least 72 hours in jail, an ignition interlock device, and alcohol education.
Saving Country Music will offer updates as soon as more information on the arrest of Tanner Usrey and what specifically he’s charged with is made available.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source savingcountrymusic.com ’
