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Indianapolis • Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been arrested on suspicion of intoxicated driving, authorities said Monday.
Irsay was arrested Sunday night in the northern Indianapolis suburb of Carmel on preliminary charges of driving while intoxicated and possession of a controlled substance, Hamilton County Sheriff's Department Deputy Bryant Orem said.
Irsay, 54, is being held at the Noblesville jail under $22,500 bond, Orem said.
Myra Borshoff Cook, a spokeswoman for Irsay, declined to comment early Monday on his arrest.
Irsay, who frequently interacts with fans of the NFL team on Twitter, wrote an October 2013 tweet saying "I don't drink...haven't in over 15 years."
Irsay acknowledged in 2002 that he had become dependent on painkillers after several years of orthopedic operations but said he had overcome the problem after undergoing treatment.
Marion County prosecutors said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated how Irsay obtained the painkillers. Federal authorities wouldn't confirm any investigation was taking place. Prosecutors at the time said they saw no reason to charge Irsay.
A plastic surgeon who wrote painkiller prescriptions for Irsay later surrendered his federal permit to prescribe narcotic drugs.
Irsay, who lives in Carmel, became the Colts owner in 1997 after the death of his father, Robert Irsay and a lengthy legal battle with his father's second wife. Along the way, Jim Irsay held virtually every job from ball boy to general manager. Forbes magazine estimated Irsay's net worth at $1.6 billion.
Meg Irsay filed in November for divorce from her husband of 33 years, citing an "irretrievable breakdown" of the marriage.
A joint statement issued by the couple said Jim Irsay would retain full ownership of the Colts and his other business interests. The couple, who married in 1980, have been separated for a decade and are the parents of three adult daughters.
Since taking ownership of the team, Jim Irsay has made a reputation for himself by buying the scroll manuscript of Jack Kerouac's beat poem "On the Road" for $2.43 million post comments ranging from the Colts' inner workings, popular music, and idle thoughts on his Twitter account.