A football player for the New York Giants has been arrested after a traffic stop revealed that he owed more than $9,000 in overdue payments to the mother of his child. The man, a safety for the team named Will Hill, may also face drug charges in addition to the child support payment violations. Authorities say the man was arrested on Dec. 20 in Little Falls.

An officer in the case said that he saw the cigar shavings throughout the man’s vehicle, in addition to cigar wrappers that indicated that the man may have smoked marijuana in his vehicle. The football player, age 23, was riding in the vehicle with two other passengers, ages 19 and 29. A 24-year-old man from Florida was behind the wheel. A search of the vehicle did not reveal any drugs in the car. The vehicle had been stopped because an officer noticed that the driver of the vehicle committed a traffic offense in an exit lane on an interstate.

The football player was arrested on the scene as soon as officers discovered that he was wanted in New York for failure to pay his child support. He was then taken into custody in Hudson County, where he was able to pay off the outstanding balance due on his child support account. Representatives from the team said that the man will likely not face discipline in the workplace, as the child support payments are considered a personal matter. The driver of the vehicle was also issued summonses for driving on a suspended license, along with other traffic violations. One other passenger in the vehicle was also taken in on an outstanding warrant.

In this case, it is not clear whether the man knew that he had an outstanding child support balance. However, he paid the balance in full after he was taken into custody. Still, child support is designed to be used for everyday expenses, and when it goes unpaid for any length of time, a significant burden may result on the custodial parent. Parents who are concerned about their child support status may benefit from consulting with a qualified New York family attorney who can help them learn more about their legal rights.

Source: NJ.com, “Police: Giants safety Hill was behind $9K in child support; odor of marijuana in car” Ron Zeitlinger, Dec. 31, 2013