NFL player Sam Beal gets diversion program for having gun in his car during June 2020 Lorain County stop

A New York Giants cornerback arrested for having a gun in his car during a traffic stop last summer in Lorain County has been ordered into a pretrial diversion program and will be monitored by probation officers for two years. Sam Beal, 24, of Cliffside Park, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in Lorain County Common Pleas Court to felony charges of carrying a concealed weapon and improperly handling a firearm in motor vehicle June 4. Instead of issuing a guilty finding, Judge James Miraldi stayed the verdict and placed Beal in a pre-trial diversion program. As part of the program, Beal will have to comply with terms and conditions placed on him by the Lorain County Adult Probation Department. If he complies with all terms and conditions, he will not have a felony conviction on his record. The Giants told multiple media outlets they were aware of Beal's legal trouble but had no comment. Beal was stopped by police in Lorain County in June 2020. A search of his car revealed a gun and less than 100 grams of marijuana, and he also was cited with speeding in excess of 70 mph. He posted $2,000 bond and was released. Beal pleaded no contest to the speeding ticket in Oberlin Municipal Court, was found guilty and ordered to pay $260 in fines and court costs, according to court records. The final disposition of the marijuana charge wasn't immediately clear. Beal played college football at Western Michigan University. The Giants selected him in the third round of the 2018 supplemental NFL draft. He played only part of the 2019 season due to injuries, and opted out of playing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Giants.com reported.