The Atlanta Falcons have cut Barkevious Mingo following an arrest.
According to ESPN, Mingo was arrested in Texas on a charge of indecency with a child-sexual contact, and he faces up to 20 years in prison if he’s convicted. ESPN reported that the charge means Mingo is accused of “engaging in sexual contact with someone younger than 17 years of age or causing the child to engage in sexual contact.” (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Following his arrest, the Falcons released Mingo early Sunday morning.
More on the Falcons terminating the contract of LB Barkevious Mingo after he was arrested in Texas on a charge of indecency with a child-sexual contact.https://t.co/87Mzj8QJnj https://t.co/LDtSLLXWl5
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 11, 2021
After being made aware today of allegations involving LB Barkevious Mingo and gathering information on the matter, the Atlanta Falcons now have terminated his contract.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 11, 2021
As I always say, Mingo has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. That’s our system in America, and we should all be thankful for it.
It’s also important to note Mingo’s lawyer has called the allegations against his client “completely baseless.”
You can read the full statement from his lawyer below.
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
If Mingo is found guilty in a court of law, then he’s not going to have to worry about when he’ll play football again. He’ll have to worry about how many years he’ll be behind bars.
This isn’t a DUI charge or getting popped with some weed. This is a serious felony.
We have terminated the contract of Barkevious Mingo. https://t.co/31p1hfgJF0
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) July 11, 2021
We’ll see how it shakes out with the justice system, but there’s no doubt at all that Mingo is facing incredibly serious allegations.