On Thursday, Falcons linebacker Barkevious Mingo was arrested in Texas by the Arlington Police Department for “indecency with a child, sexual contact,” NFL.com first reported.
Mingo was released on a $25,000 bond, but the allegations are troubling and if convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. The Atlanta Falcons released a statement on Saturday saying they are aware of the allegations and take them very seriously:
“Our organization became aware of the allegations involving Barkevious Mingo today and are currently gathering information on this incident. The Falcons take the allegations very seriously and will continue to monitor the situation.”
A former first-round pick, Mingo was expected to help add some pressure off the edge as Atlanta retools its defense under defensive coordinator Dean Pees.
UPDATE: Mingo’s attorney released the following statement on Saturday in response to the charges, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
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
