As reported by Joe Person of The Athletic on Tuesday afternoon, Carolina Panthers tight end Ian Thomas pleaded to a charge of unsafe movement last month in his case stemming from a July 2021 arrest. Thomas initially faced five misdemeanor charges from the incident, one in which he attempted to evade police on an unregistered and uninsured dirt bike.
Person also reported on the arrest back in February of 2022, just days after the Panthers signed the former fourth-round pick to a three-year, $16.5 million extension. He wrote:
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. on July 12. The incident occurred in an area near a Walmart and other businesses.
While the operator of the ATV drove off, Thomas stopped about a mile and a half from his home, according to court records. He was arrested and jailed on five counts, including reckless driving and felony fleeing to elude.
Thomas, per records, was ordered to pay $391 in fines and court costs and completed a driving course, according to his lawyer.