Jack Jones Charges Dropped Ahead Of Patriots Season Opener

Jack Jones no longer will face charges stemming from his mid-June arrest at Logan Airport.

The Suffolk County District Attorney on Tuesday dropped the weapons charges Jones was facing after the New England Patriots cornerback agreed to one year of pre-trial probation and 48 hours of community service, according to a court filing obtained by MassLive.com.

“The Commonwealth states that consistent with its standard of review in all cases, it has thoroughly reviewed all the evidence in this case and determined that it cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Jones had knowledge that he possessed the firearms in his bag at the time of the incident,” the document read.

“In addition, pursuant to M.G.L. Section 140 Chapter 129C(j), Those exempt from having a firearm identification card include ‘any resident of the commonwealth returning after having been absent from the commonwealth for not less than 180 consecutive days or any new resident moving into the commonwealth, with respect to any firearm, rifle, or shotgun and any ammunition there then in his possession, for 60 days after such return or entry into the commonwealth.’

“The Commonwealth has been provided documentation and verified that Mr. Jones purchased both firearms lawfully in the state of Arizona and has taken steps to become a lawful gun owner in the state of Massachusetts within this 60-day period.”

Jones initially was charged with two counts each of possession of a concealed weapon in a secure area of the airport, possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm and possession of a large capacity feeding device after authorities found two loaded handguns in a bag with his name on it at a TSA security checkpoint June 16.

The state ultimately concluded, per the filing, that it could not prove Jones knew the guns — which he legally purchased in Arizona — were in his bag at the time.

Jones’ attorney, Rosemary Scapicchio, confirmed to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo that all charges against her client had been dropped.

“Jack is grateful to have the case resolved and is looking forward to playing football,” Scapichio told Garafolo.

While Jones still could face NFL discipline under the league’s personal conduct policy, Tuesday’s development greatly increased the chances of him being available for the Patriots this season.

New England is set to host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Week 1, and Jones is expected to be a key contributor in their secondary. The 25-year-old projects as one of the Patriots’ top three perimeter cornerbacks along with Jonathan Jones and rookie Christian Gonzalez.