SAN FERNANDO, Calif. -- Former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies star Lenny Dykstra was charged Monday with grand theft auto and drug possession by prosecutors who claim he used phony information to lease a car from a Southern California dealership.
Dykstra, 48, was charged with 25 misdemeanor and felony counts of grand theft auto, attempted grand theft auto, identity theft and other crimes, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. He faces up to 12 years in state prison if convicted.
Lenny Dykstra dreamed of big business with high-rolling professional athletes. But an ESPN.com investigation discovered that "Nails" either hated to pay bills or was a financial train wreck. Mike Fish's report, published April 22, 2009, chronicled Dykstra's life after baseball and the mountain of lawsuits that he collected along the way.
His accountant and a friend were charged in connection with the alleged auto theft but not with drug crimes, Robison said.
