Casino Brawl Leads to Arrest of Ex-Patriot Football Player
An after-midnight incident at the Mohegan Sun casino led to the arrest of former NFL star Tebucky Jones. Jones was charged with disturbing the peace, third degree assault, and fourth-degree sexual assault after a situation in the hotel lobby which began with Jones allegedly touching a woman with what was described as "inappropriate conduct."
The woman's boyfriend, identified as Nikolaos Papathanasiou, interceded on her behalf. A verbal exchange became physical, and Jones punched the boyfriend in the face and knocked the woman over.
A witness, Mark Chichester, came to the aid of the couple and punched Jones. Police arrived and all three men were charged, the other two each with breach of peace.
Jones was released on $5000 bond, while the other men each placed a $250 bond.
The three are required to appear before Norwich Superior Court on August 21st.
Jones played ten seasons in the NFL, a total of eight years with the Patriots and two seasons with the New Orleans Saints. He was a star defensive back on the Patriots team that upset the St. Louis Rams in the 2002 Superbowl.
Jones' wife, Janet, and three children were not present in the lobby during the altercation.
Fourth-degree sexual assault is a misdemeanor commonly including touching of genital areas or sexual contact without permission. This is a technique not believed to be taught at Patriots training camp, although a different type of invasion of personal privacy, videotaping without knowledge or permission does seem to be a New England strategy.
