Since the Jets drafted him 13 months ago, the specter of criminal charges has hung over Kenrick Ellis’ head. Those charges came to a resolution yesterday.
Ellis, 24, entered an Alford plea to misdemeanor assault and battery in Hampton, Va., meaning he doesn’t admit guilt but acknowledges prosecutors could prove the case against him.
Ellis will serve 45 days in jail. His sentence begins June 15, according to Tim Clancy, Ellis’ attorney. The timing of the sentence keeps Ellis from missing mini-camp, but he will miss the first few days of training camp in Cortland.
The Jets defensive lineman had faced a felony charge of malicious wounding stemming from a fight at Hampton University, where he was a student, in April 2010. Under the plea agreement, Ellis was sentenced to 179 days in jail, with 89 suspended. The 90-day sentence gets cut to 45 based on good behavior under Virginia law. He also received two years of unsupervised probation.
By pleading to a misdemeanor, Ellis avoided the chance of deportation. A felony conviction could have resulted in deportation for Ellis, who was born in Jamaica and is not a U.S. citizen.
The Jets’ mandatory mini-camp ends June 14, a day before Ellis’ sentence begins. Depending on exactly when and what time of day he is released, Ellis will likely miss 3-4 days of training camp.
The Jets drafted Ellis in the third round of the 2011 draft, with the knowledge that he faced these criminal charges. He played in five games last year, starting two.
Ellis was served with a $3 million civil lawsuit yesterday morning, according to victim Dennis Eley’s attorney, S. Howard Woodson. That lawsuit had previously been filed and withdrawn.
The NFL also could discipline Ellis under the league’s conduct policy. A league spokesman said the case would be reviewed. The timing of the crime, having occurred before Ellis was in the league, could help him with the league.