Panthers tight end charged with multiple misdemeanors

Ian Thomas, a tight end for the Carolina Panthers, who just signed a contract extension last week, has officially been charged with five misdemeanor charges stemming back to last summer. He reportedly attempted to evade police on a dirt bike last summer north of Charlotte.

Court records show that Thomas was driving an unregistered and uninsured 2017 Honda on a suspended license when a Huntersville (North Carolina) police officer noticed the dirt bike and a separate vehicle (a red ATV) did not have license plates and initiated a traffic stop. The officer said Thomas and the other driver appeared to slow down, then accelerated and entered the oncoming lane of traffic around 9:30 p.m. back on July 12, 2021. The incident occurred in an area near a Wal-Mart and other businesses, according to a report from The Athletic’s Joseph Person.

Thomas stopped and gave in to the chase about a mile and a half from his home, according to the court records. He was arrested and jailed on five counts, including reckless driving and felony fleeing to elude police. George Laughrun, Thomas’ attorney said that the felony was reduced to a misdemeanor.

Other records show Thomas was stopped in Iredell County in 2020 for going over 90 mph in a 65-mph zone. He was convicted of reckless driving, though the charges were later dismissed.

Thomas will appear in front of a judge in August. A team spokesperson said Monday the team is aware of the matter, and had notified the league at the time of the incident. The spokesperson declined further comment because it’s a pending legal matter.

Thomas was drafted by the Panthers in the fourth-round to the Panthers in 2018. He was set to become a free agent next month before he signed a three-year, $16.95 million deal last week.