She had the gift and the talent in bundles, but she could never refrain herself from getting in to trouble. A controversial name, Nicole Bobek has been the most maligned US figure skaters of the past 20 years. The former US figure skating champion has been instigated with charges of being a part of a notorious New Jersey meth drug ring.

On Monday, July 6 2009, the 31 year old Bobek made a court appearance on video. She had been arrested by the police last week in Florida. The charges against her are quite serious in nature; she has been charged with the conspiracy to distribute the illegal methanphetamine drug in the Hudson County area.

Bobek’s lawyer, Sam DeLuca, has pleaded not guilty on behalf on his client. If convicted, she faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison. Nicole Bobek is presently held on a bail of $200,000. Reportedly, besides her, there have been 20 more arrests in relation to the drug ring. The 19 names in connection with the drug ring had been announced on June 20. Before Monday, the name of the women’s US figure skating title winner from 1995, was not publicly linked to the case. Authorities said it was only because she had not been arrested till then.

On Monday, a New Jersey prosecutor said that Bobek had been involved and had played a ’significant role’ in the drug racket, that allegedly involved the distribution of the meth drug. According to the reports of the nj.com (the official website of the Jersey Journal newspaper), prosecutor Edward DeFazio had said that Bobek was ‘actively involved in the upper echelon in this ring’.