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Atlanta Falcons terminate contract of LB Barkevious Mingo following disturbing charge
By Keith Farner
Published:
Less than a day after linebacker Barkevious Mingo was arrested in Texas on a charge of indecency with a child-sexual contact, the Atlanta Falcons have released the former LSU player.
Arlington police said that Mingo was arrested Thursday on the second-degree felony charge, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison under Texas state law. According to the state penal code, the charge relates to engaging in sexual contact with someone younger than 17 years of age or causing the child to engage in sexual contact, ESPN reported.
Mingo signed a one-year contract with the Falcons in March after he played for five different teams over the past five seasons, including the Chicago Bears in 2020.
Arlington Police said in a statement that the agency could provide no further information about the investigation, citing “the nature of the charges and age of the victim.” Police said Mingo turned himself in.
“After being made aware today of allegations involving Barkevious Mingo and gathering information on the matter, the Atlanta Falcons have terminated his contract,” the team said in a statement late Saturday night.
Mingo’s attorney, Lukas Garcia, called the allegations “completely baseless” in a statement given to multiple outlets.
“At this stage, our side has very limited information,” Garcia said. “What we do know is these allegations are from over two years ago and are completely untrue. Mr. Mingo is the victim of a false claim, and we believe this is motivated by money or some other ulterior motive.”
According to Tarrant County records, Mingo was released on $25,000 bond Friday.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
