Atlanta Falcons linebacker Barkevious Mingo was arrested on suspicion of a child sex crime that occurred in Texas, authorities said Saturday.
According to the Arlington Police Department, Mingo, 30, was arrested Thursday night on one count of indecency with a child -- sexual contact, the Star-Telegram of Fort Worth reported.
The incident stemmed from an investigation Arlington police were conducting, a police spokesperson told the newspaper. Mingo turned himself in “on his own accord in consultation with his attorney,” police said.
In a statement, Mingo’s attorney, Lukas Garcia, called the charge “completely baseless.”
“At this stage, our side has very limited information,” Garcia said in his statement, which was tweeted by NFL Network reporter Ian Rapaport. “What we do know is these allegations are from over two years ago and are completely untrue.”
A statement from the Lukas Garcia, attorney for #Falcons LB Barkevious Mingo, who was recently charged with indecency with a child. Garcia calls the charge “completely baseless: pic.twitter.com/OksG4Xe414
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 10, 2021
Arlington police declined to release the date of the alleged crime or other information about the case, according to the Star-Telegram.
The second-degree felony carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison under Texas law, ESPN reported.
Police said the eight-year veteran, who lives in Louisiana, has been released after posting $25,000 bail, The Dallas Morning News reported.
Mingo signed a one-year, $1.25 million deal with the Falcons in March, according to the Star-Telegram. Born in Belle Glade, Florida, Mingo played at Louisiana State University and was a first-round pick (sixth overall) by the Cleveland Browns in the 2013 NFL draft. He spent three years in Cleveland, followed by one-year stints with the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans and Chicago Bears.
He has played in 126 games and has made 40 starts.
“Our organization became aware of the allegations involving Barkevious Mingo today and are currently gathering information on this incident,” the Falcons said in a statement Saturday. “The Falcons take the allegations very seriously and will continue to monitor the situation.”
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