Major League Baseball

Report: Elijah Dukes arrested in Florida

Published Feb. 23, 2012 12:00 a.m. ET

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Former major league outfielder Elijah Dukes was arrested early Thursday after allegedly trying to swallow a small bag of marijuana, The Tampa Tribune reported.

Dukes, 27, was pulled over in a routine traffic stop at 1 a.m. local time, according to the police report.

Officers observed flakes of marijuana on Dukes' shirt and then noticed he was attempting to eat a small bag of the drug to keep them from finding it.

Police said Dukes was charged with tampering with physical evidence, possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and three counts of driving with a canceled or suspended license.

He was held overnight with bail set at $4,750.

Dukes played for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2007 and the Washington Nationals in 2008 and 2009, but his career was plagued by behavioral issues.

The Tribune reported that Dukes has been arrested dozens of times since 2001, when he attended Hillsborough High School in Tampa. Most of the charges were either dismissed or not pursued by authorities.

Dukes was arrested in March 2011 for allegedly slapping his pregnant ex-girlfriend during an argument.