Former Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe is facing court over an allegation he tried to get sleep medication using a fake prescription.
Ibe, 30, who also played for Derby County, Birmingham City and Bournemouth, is accused of using a bogus prescription to try to obtain insomnia drug Zolpidem on two occasions.
It is claimed the footballer used an alleged fraudulent prescription at the Hornsey Road pharmacy, in north London, on May 24 2024, and returned four days later to obtain more of the same medication.
On the second visit, Ibe’s allegedly fake prescription was seized by a suspicious pharmacy worker.
Ibe, who signed last year for Bulgarian first division side Lokomotiv Sofia, has been charged with possessing or controlling an article for use in fraud.
He was expected to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Thursday afternoon to face the criminal charge for the first time.
But District Judge Denis Brennan was told the footballer had been “blissfully unaware” of the pending criminal case until earlier in the day, as he was charged by a letter sent to his family home in Southwark, south London, just before Christmas last year and shortly after he had moved to Bulgaria to start the next stage of his playing career.
“My colleague heard only today, somehow we became aware that this matter was due to be listed,” Ibe’s solicitor Claire Reid told the court.
“Mr Ibe was blissfully unaware of this. He lives in Bulgaria, he is a professional footballer and he is not likely to be released from his duties.”
Ms Reid asked the court for an adjournment for six months until the Bulgarian football season is on its summer break, although she admitted to the judge that this was a “big ask”.
The judge agreed to adjourn the first court hearing, but only for four weeks until February 5.
He added that Ibe could make an application to appear over a videolink next time, but that would need to be agreed by the court and also the Bulgarian authorities.
Judge Brennan added: “The problem he faces is if he doesn’t appear before the court, having got four weeks’ notice, the risk he takes is that the court issues a warrant for his arrest, that gets turned into an extradition warrant and he is potentially extradited from Bulgaria.”
Ibe made 78 appearances across four years at Bournemouth between 2016 and 2020. He has spent the last two years playing non-league football before securing the move to the Bulgarian capital in November 2025.
Ibe is accused, on May 24 and May 28 2024, of possessing false prescriptions for medication for use in the course of, or in connection with, a fraud.
He has not entered a plea to the charge.
