Joe Person of The Athletic reports that Panthers TE Ian Thomas is facing five misdemeanor charges after attempting to evade police on a dirt bike last summer.
According to Person, court records show that Thomas was driving an unregistered and uninsured 2017 Honda on a suspended license when a police officer noticed the dirt bike and a separate vehicle did not have license plates.
After the officer tried to stop the vehicles, they appeared to slow down before accelerating and entering the oncoming lane of traffic.
The ATV operator drove off, but Thomas was stopped about a mile and a half from his home. He was arrested and jailed on five charges including reckless driving and felony fleeing to elude.
The good news for Thomas is that prosecutors have reduced the lone felony charge to a misdemeanor. He’s scheduled to appear in court in August.
The Panthers just signed Thomas to a three-year contract worth $16.5 million.
Thomas, 25, is a former fourth-round pick of the Panthers back in 2018. He played out the final year of his four-year, $3.2 million contract.
In 2021, Thomas appeared in all 17 games for the Panthers and caught 18 passes for 188 yards receiving and no touchdowns.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
