Originally charged with assaulting his girlfriend and other crimes, former University of Utah football player Tavion Thomas resolved his case on Friday by pleading guilty to two third-degree felonies.
Prosecutors agreed to dismiss eight of the 10 counts against him, in exchange for his guilty pleas to unlawfully acquiring a financial card and violating an order to not contact his girlfriend.
After agreeing to the plea deal in 3rd District Court, Thomas said on Twitter: “With humble pride I take full responsibility for my actions. With the help of my amazing attorneys, family and wonderful team of mental health professionals, I am beyond blessed, healing and bound to be the best me that I can be.”
His pleas are being held in abeyance, which means he is not yet convicted. If Thomas, 23, successfully serves three years of probation, the charges will be reduced and his guilty pleas will be entered to two class A misdemeanors.
The terms of his probation require him to abstain from alcohol and illegal drugs — and prohibit him from being around others who are taking them or drinking. He can’t frequent places where alcohol is the main item sold. He will have to submit to drug and alcohol testing, and he cannot possess a firearm.
If Thomas violates the terms of his probation, he could be sentenced for his third-degree felonies, both of which carry a punishment of up to five years in prison.
Three of the original charges were third-degree felony counts of domestic violence, which alleged Thomas threatened his girlfriend with a knife on April 4, took away her phone and car keys and told her that if she called authorities, she would be “dead before the police arrive.” Those charges have been dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
While he pleaded guilty to one count of later calling that woman in violation of an order not to contact her, three identical counts alleging continued calls were dismissed. Two class A misdemeanors, which alleged Thomas unlawfully possessed another person’s identification documents, also were dismissed.
Thomas’ girlfriend argued at an April 21 hearing that he was not a danger to her. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said Friday that her input was considered in crafting the plea bargain.
“Whenever you have domestic violence situations, you rely on the evidence,” Gill said. “And you also try to figure out the proportionate response in terms of achieving those objectives. When the team met and evaluated everything with everyone, including our victim, it was decided this was the best outcome that we could have.”
In a joint statement, defense attorney Skye Lazaro and NFL Agent Jimmy Gould pointed out: “Since the onset of this case Mr. Thomas has maintained his innocence with respect to the allegations of domestic violence and assault. Those charges have now been dismissed with prejudice.”
Their statement continued: “We appreciate the work of the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office to bring this case to a just resolution. Mr. Thomas has readily taken responsibility for the charges included in the plea agreement. He has taken this opportunity to focus on getting himself mentally healthy and ready for the next step. Mr. Thomas is deeply grateful for those that have supported him and continue to support him through this process.”
As part of his probation, Thomas will have to complete a mental health and domestic violence evaluation in 30 days. He also must take prescribed medication.
Before the charges were filed, Thomas was seen as a prominent NFL Draft prospect. He was invited to the NFL Combine in March after helping lead Utah to back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances. But Thomas has since gone undrafted and he has not received any invites to rookie minicamps up to this point.
A continuing protection order prohibits Thomas from contacting a previous girlfriend, who he is accused of harassing in Bluffdale. According to a police report obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune, Thomas’ then-girlfriend told police he harassed her in the wake of a breakup, repeatedly calling her, sending her direct messages on various apps and sending more than 350 text messages after he she told him to stop contacting her.
Thomas was charged Jan. 8 with a class B misdemeanor count of electronic communication harassment.
Court documents did not state who owned the financial card Thomas pleaded guilty to unlawfully acquiring, or the identification he had been accused of unlawfully possessing. The charges said those items were discovered in his possession on April 11, which would have occurred while he was in jail.
Thomas was held without bail for nearly three weeks in April. Thomas’ girlfriend, whom he lives with, told police she had suggested they go to sleep after he pulled a knife on her. “She said she did not sleep at all because she was afraid of Thomas as he had the knife laying next to him in the bed,” court documents state.
She was able to leave the next day, April 5, and Thomas was arrested and booked in jail. He was ordered not to have any communication with her, but called her more than 21 times between April 6 and 9, four charges alleged. He pleaded guilty to one of those counts.
There is no longer any order restricting his contact with her. She appeared in court multiple times and argued against a protective order, saying Thomas needed to start taking his medication.
“Tavion isn’t a danger to me,” the woman said at Thomas’ detention hearing on April 21. “Your Honor, Tavion, he’s my safe space. Couples get into arguments all the time and, of course, domestic violence is something you never want to have happen, but you can’t control that when someone is having an emotional argument and a breakdown.”
Follow @kevinreynolds30