Former Tide Basketball Player Darius Miles Faces New Charges While Awaiting Capital Murder Trial

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Former University of Alabama basketball player Darius Miles is facing two new felony charges after investigators say suspected synthetic marijuana was found among his belongings inside the Tuscaloosa County Jail.

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The new charges come as Miles remains jailed without bond while awaiting trial on a capital murder charge stemming from the January 2023 shooting death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris.

According to a deposition and charge sheet filed Friday in Tuscaloosa County District Court, Miles, 24, is now charged with second-degree promoting prison contraband and a tax stamp violation.

Bond was set at $2,500 on each of the new charges.

The court document says a Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office agent responded to the county jail Wednesday, Sept. 2, after jail staff located what was described as suspected "Paper Route," or synthetic marijuana, among Miles' property.

Investigators said the substance was tested and produced a positive result for synthetic marijuana, according to the deposition.

The document lists the total weight of the suspected drug-soaked paper at 37 grams.

The investigator wrote that authorities were unable to locate a tax stamp on either the paper or its packaging, resulting in the additional tax stamp charge.

The deposition also says the suspected contraband was discovered inside a bag containing documents belonging to Miles.

Authorities said probable cause was established to charge him with both offenses, while the evidence was photographed and sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for further investigation.

The new allegations mark another development in a case that has stretched for more than three years.

As Patch previously reported, Miles has been held without bond since his January 2023 arrest.

Prosecutors accuse him of providing the handgun allegedly used by his childhood friend, Michael Lynn Davis, during a shootout on Grace Street that resulted in Harris' death. Davis was convicted in May 2025 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Miles' attorneys have maintained that he did not fire the fatal shot and have argued that the circumstances surrounding the confrontation support a claim of self-defense.

His legal team has also made repeated unsuccessful attempts to secure his release on bond while the capital murder case remains pending.

As Patch previously reported, Miles' aunt, Melissa Miles, launched the "25 BY 25" campaign seeking 25,000 petition signatures and calling for his release before his 25th birthday on Oct. 6.

Organizers have argued that his lengthy pretrial detention raises concerns about his right to a speedy trial.

The new contraband and tax stamp charges are separate from the pending capital murder prosecution and will likely not be considered as evidence by the jury during his capital murder trial.

No trial date has been given for Miles' capital murder case, which is stalled as his legal team awaits an appeal regarding its request that the judge presiding over the case be recused.

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