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Downtrodden former Mets star Lenny Dykstra was hauled out of a Los Angeles courtroom in handcuffs yesterday after prosecutors slammed him with 25 felony charges for allegedly possessing drugs and faking financial records to lease luxury cars.
The Los Angeles DA’s office nailed Dykstra, 48, with eight counts of attempted grand theft auto, eight counts of filing false financial statements, and four counts of identity theft for allegedly duping the high-end automobile dealers.
He was held in lieu of $500,000 bail and is due back in court Friday to enter a plea.
LAPD detectives said they stumbled on a cache of cocaine, ecstasy and human growth hormone in Dykstra’s home while investigating the leased-vehicle scam.
In addition, Dykstra faces an additional four counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of unauthorized possession of a syringe.
The three-time baseball All-Star, his accountant Robert Hymers, 27, and his pal Christopher Gavanis, 30, were all charged in the alleged car scam.
They allegedly concocted a fake business to gain credit to lease high-end cars.
The outfielder — known as “Nails” in his playing days — and his co-defendants also cited a man they claimed was their co-signer, prosecutors said. But that man never gave Dykstra’s crew permission to use his name, according to prosecutors.
A lawyer for Dykstra could not be reached for comment.
If convicted on all the state charges, Dykstra faces up to 12 years in prison.
He was already in hot water with federal prosecutors, after he was indicted in May for alleged fraud in his bankruptcy case.
Dykstra was a key player for the 1986 World Series champion Mets.
In his post-baseball career, he billed himself as a stock-market genius and once purchased a home from hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. But the facade crumbled, and he eventually filed for bankruptcy.
Dykstra was named in the 2007 Mitchell Report on baseball steroid use, although he’s denied taking performance-enhancing drugs.
In a long, written statement to The Post last month, Dykstra cast himself as the victim of over-zealous prosecutors.
“Bottom line: When all of the evidence is brought forward, the jury will be told by the judge to make an example out of these corrupt people so this does not continue to happen to other Americans,” Dykstra wrote.