Le’Veon Bell, a former NFL running back, was arrested in Ohio on Sunday following a warrant from Michigan related to unpaid child support. The Stark County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Bell was held as a “courtesy hold for another agency.”
The 34-year-old athlete was in Canton for a meet-and-greet event at a local mall when authorities took him into custody after the appearance. The Michigan warrant was issued due to overdue child support payments.
Child support warrant leads to Ohio arrest
Stark County officials arrested Bell based on the Michigan warrant, which stemmed from a child support case where he had fallen behind on payments, as reported by the Canton Repository.
The Michigan Attorney General’s Office became involved due to the significant amount of money at stake, leading to the warrant that resulted in Bell’s arrest during his visit to Ohio.
Bell, a native of Groveport, Ohio, was about two hours from his hometown when he was taken into custody.
Le’Veon Bell’s attorney addresses payment dispute
Bell’s lawyer, Thomas Shaffer, stated that the former running back has struggled to maintain payments because the amounts are still based on his NFL earnings.
Shaffer noted that Bell recently withdrew $50,000 from his NFL pension and paid it toward child support for the child involved about six months ago. However, he argued that the current payment guidelines still reflect Bell’s former NFL salary and professional boxing income, not his actual current earnings.
According to Shaffer, the issue persists because the required payments do not align with Bell’s present financial situation. He believes the court should reassess the support obligation based on Bell’s current income.
NFL career earnings and success in Pittsburgh
Bell played eight seasons in the NFL, though he has not appeared in a game since 2021. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2013 draft, he quickly became one of the league’s elite running backs.
From 2014 to 2017, Bell earned three Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro honors. He rushed for over 1,200 yards in three of those four seasons and finished his Steelers career as the franchise’s fourth-leading rusher.
His 2,215 all-purpose yards in 2014 remain a Pittsburgh franchise record. Bell also holds the team’s single-season records for receptions by a running back (85 in 2017) and receiving yards by a running back (854 in 2014).
Career earnings after leaving the Steelers
According to Over the Cap, Bell earned $44.8 million during his NFL career. His total could have been much higher, but he sat out the entire 2018 season instead of playing under the franchise tag for a second consecutive year after receiving the tag in 2017.
That decision cost him $14.5 million in salary and ended his five-year tenure with Pittsburgh. He later played for the Jets, Ravens, Chiefs, and Buccaneers over the next three seasons but could not match his peak production.
Since leaving the NFL, Bell has pursued music and boxing. His boxing career included a knockout victory over Adrian Peterson in 2022.