Cornerback Adam “Pacman†Jones was arrested at the Rising Sun Casino in Indiana on Wednesday after an altercation with agents from the Indiana Gaming Commission.
The charges against Jones include battery on a public safety official, cheating at gambling, attempted theft, resisting law enforcement, disorderly conduct, and public intoxication.
Jones Accused of Cheating at Blackjack
According to the Indiana Gaming Commission, officials were called to the casino in order to investigate whether a patron – who turned out to be Jones – was cheating at a table game. Commission deputy director Jennifer Reske told NBC News that Jones was playing blackjack at the time, but did not disclose details about his alleged cheating.
Once investigators arrived, they say that Jones became verbally combative with both casino personnel and the commission agents. At one point, Jones allegedly threatened to kill a commission law enforcement officer.
Attorney Del Weldon issued a statement on Wednesday, saying that Jones did nothing out of the ordinary when reacting to the accusations against him.
“Adam was gaming at a table set up by his casino host with his friends, as he has done many times before,†the statement read. “He was approached by gaming agents and falsely accused of cheating. He was arrested merely for reacting in the way any of us would. No one wants to be called a cheat, and we all have a right to stand up for ourselves.â€
On Thursday, Jones made an appearance in Ohio County Court, where his bond was set at $1,000 in cash and a $10,000 surety. Jones has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and is scheduled to appear for a pre-trial conference on April 29.
Career Marred by Legal Troubles
The 35-year-old Jones has spent 14 years in the NFL since being drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft, and is currently a free agent. The cornerback has made one Pro Bowl and was named as a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2014. Last year, he played in seven games for the Denver Broncos, making one interception and nine tackles.
But Jones’ career has been plagued by legal troubles. In February 2007, he was involved in a shooting that injured three victims at a Las Vegas nightclub, one of whom was paralyzed as a result. Jones was eventually ordered to pay more than $12 million to two of the victims in civil lawsuits.
That also led to a suspension from the NFL that cost Jones the entire 2007 season. After one season with Dallas in 2008, Jones sat out the 2009 season before playing with the Cincinnati Bengals from 2010 through 2017.
But while Jones’ career enjoyed more stability during this period, it didn’t mark a complete end to his off-the-field troubles.
In 2011, Jones was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct in relation to an incident at a Cincinnati nightclub. He was then hit with another disorderly conduct charge in 2013 after an altercation with a police officer during a traffic stop.
Jones was once again arrested in January 2017 in Cincinnati on charges of disorderly conduct, assault, and harassment with a bodily substance. Jones would eventually agree to plead guilty to one count of obstructing a police officer, serving just two days in jail. That arrest also resulted in a one-game suspension from the NFL for the 2017 season.
