Patriots’ Jack Jones: ‘30 Years in Prison’ Possible After Gun Arrest
FOXBORO — New England Patriots cornerback Jack Jones will begin to learn more about his legal fate on Tuesday when he is expected to be arraigned on firearms charges at East Boston District Court.
The 25-year-old is once again embroiled in legal difficulty following his arrest at Boston's Logan Airport on Friday for attempting to board an aircraft with two loaded firearms. New England's second-year corner is facing several charges including: possession of a concealed weapons in a secure area of an airport, possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm, and possession of a large capacity feeding device, according to police.
While the situation has been harrowing enough for Jones on their own, the ramifications may place his future on an NFL field in doubt, as well as land him in serious trouble for quite some time.
“If he were convicted and sentenced consecutively on each charge, he’d face more than 30 years in prison,” said James Borghesani, a spokesperson for Suffolk District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden’s office, via the Boston Globe.
Massachusetts State Police said they were called to the TSA security checkpoint in Terminal B at approximately 5:30 p.m. Friday after two firearms were found in Jones' carry-on luggage. Shortly thereafter, he was taken into custody, before being released on $50,000 bail.
However, legal expert Michael McCann has advised those charges could have major implications on Jones' ability to avoid prison time.
“Jones is in a lot of trouble. He’s in a lot of trouble because he’s been charged with multiple offenses,” McCann recently told NBC Sports Boston. “They’re serious offenses, including a large capacity feeding device which goes to rounds and ballistics, and possession of a gun in an airport, loaded firearm — there’s a lot of stuff that he’s been charged with.
“Certainly, what we know so far, is that he’s facing serious charges that carry, potentially, time in prison. I think that that’s something that has to be really worrisome for him beyond how this will affect his career with the Patriots and his eligibility to play in the NFL.”
Though the seriousness of Jones charges is clearly evident, Friday's incident was not his first brush with the law.
In 2018, Jones was arrested at a Panda Express in Santa Paula, California, for commercial burglary — a second-degree misdemeanor to which he pled guilty and served 45 days of house arrest. In fact, this transgression was the primary reason for his plummeting stock in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Still, the former Sun Devil was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round at No. 121 overall. Jones finished his rookie campaign with two interceptions and six passes defended in 13 games before being suspended for the final two contests for a violation of team rules regarding injury disclosure.
A spokesperson for the Patriots issued the following statement in the aftermath of Jones’ arrest:
“We have been notified that Jack Jones was arrested at Logan Airport earlier today. We are in the process of gathering more information and will not be commenting further at this time.”
The Patriots have yet to comment further on the situation.
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