A New England Patriots player was arrested earlier this year on gun charges after being detained at Boston Logan International Airport. According to NBC 10 Boston, those charges have been dropped by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Patriots cornerback Jack Jones had the charges against him dropped on Tuesday, Sept. 5, after agreeing to one year of pre-trial probation, including 48 hours of community service. A spokesperson for the District Attorney’s Office stated that Jones agreed to the agreement in exchange for nolle prosequi (which means it’s at the prosecutor’s discretion to dismiss a case).
“The Commonwealth states that consistent with its standard of review in all cases, it has thoroughly reviewed all the evidence in this case and determined that it cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Jones had knowledge that he possessed the firearms in his bag at the time of the incident,” prosecutors wrote in the nolle prosequi filed by Assistant District Attorney John Blazo
It was previously reported that Jones was arrested after allegedly being caught trying to bring two guns on an airplane at Logan Airport in June.
At the time, police officials said that Jones was charged with two counts each of possession of a concealed weapon in a secure area of an airport, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, possession of a large-capacity feeding device, and possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card. His bail was set at $50,000.
Prosecutors said that the Patriots cornerback had legally purchased the guns in Arizona and “has taken steps to become a lawful gun owner in Massachusetts within this 60-day period.”
Jones has agreed to the sentence and “outreach and education to youth and community organizations regarding the dangers of firearms, firearm safety, and the proper handling of firearms.”
“He’s grateful that the charges are dismissed and can look forward to playing football,” Jones’s attorney, Rosemary Scapicchio, told NBC 10 Boston.
The team has not taken disciplinary action against Jones.