Los Angeles (CNN) -- Lenny Dykstra, a three-time Major League Baseball All-Star who led the New York Mets to a World Series championship, appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday shackled, unshaven and slumped in a chair to answer multiple counts of attempted grand auto theft, among other charges.
The former baseball star pleaded not guilty to five counts of attempted grand theft auto, eight counts of filing false financial statements, four counts of identity theft, three counts of grand theft auto and three counts of possession of a controlled substance. All are felonies.
Two co-defendants -- Robert Hymers, 27, his accountant and friend; and Christopher Gavanis, 30, a friend -- also pleaded not guilty to allegedly trying to lease various luxury vehicles from several dealerships by providing fraudulent information and claiming credit through a phony business called Home Free Systems.
"At one point in time he had many, many millions of dollars, and he went through all of it. It's the kind of money that you and I could probably live on for a lifetime, but his lifestyle required a lot more, and unfortunately it came to an end," said Deputy District Attorney Alex Karkanen, who is prosecuting the case. Since his arrest, Dykstra has been unable to post $500,000 bail.
The player who earned the nickname "Nails" for his tenacity and confrontations on the field was escorted from the courtroom in an orange jumpsuit and returned to the general inmate population, Karkanen said.
"It's very difficult for him to be in this situation," defense attorney David Feinstein said. "I think his mental state is OK, but this is not a comfortable or familiar place for him."
In addition, Dykstra is charged with one misdemeanor count each of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and unauthorized possession of a syringe.
When Dykstra was arrested in April, Los Angeles police detectives allegedly found cocaine and ecstasy along with somatropin, a synthetic human growth hormone, when they searched his Encino home.
The criminal complaint charges that Dykstra and Hymers provided information from a man they claimed was a co-signer but who had not authorized his name to be used. Leases were not approved at two dealerships, and all three men drove off with three cars at one company without lease approval, Karkanen said.
If convicted, Dykstra could face 12 years in state prison. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Shari K. Silver set a pretrial hearing date of September 13.
In a separate case, Dykstra was indicted in May on federal bankruptcy fraud charges including obstruction of justice for allegedly taking more than $400,000 in property that should have gone to his creditors and then lying about it under oath, prosecutors claim.
In the federal case, Dykstra is accused of stealing, hiding and destroying items such as chandeliers, artwork and sports memorabilia from his repossessed $18 million Ventura County mansion. Dykstra pleaded not guilty and posted $150,000 bail until his arrest on state charges.
Dykstra's stellar professional baseball career began in 1981, when he was drafted out of high school by the New York Mets. During his second year in the majors, Dykstra hit a lead-off home run in Game 3 of the 1986 World Series at Boston's Fenway Park, after the Mets lost the first two games. That spark rallied the Mets to a seven-game series victory over the Boston Red Sox.
By the time he retired, Dykstra had earned $36.5 million from Major League Baseball, according to baseball-reference.com.
After retirement, Dykstra moved to California and started a profitable luxury car wash that he called the Taj Mahal. He expanded the business throughout Southern California and in 2007 sold it to investors, according to bankruptcy filings.
A self-taught financial analyst, Dykstra proclaimed himself a financial guru and began writing a stock-picking website column. His prominence soared as a sports celebrity, entrepreneur and popular guest on numerous financial news broadcasts.
In 2008, Dykstra began publishing the Players Club, a glossy financial advice magazine exclusively for pro athletes to help them with wealth management and investment banking.
His purchase of the palatial Gretzky estate in 2007 for $14 million occurred a few months before the mortgage market collapsed. By the time Dykstra filed for bankruptcy in July 2009, he had accumulated loans totaling $21 million, bankruptcy records show.
The bankruptcy case is ongoing. Dykstra has listed his only income as a $5,700 monthly pension from Major League Baseball, records show.
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