Why was Julio Jones sued? Titans star in trouble for alleged fraud, money laundering
Newly acquired Tennessee Titans wide receiver Julio Jones has joined the long list of NFL stars in trouble with the law this offseason.
According to court documents obtained by The Tennessean late last night, the former Atlanta Falcons star is being sued by a cannabis company in connection with alleged fraud and money laundering.
Julio Jones, former teammate Roddy White being sued
A California-based cannabis company, Genetics, filed a lawsuit on July 21 in the Los Angeles County Superior Court naming Julio Jones, former Falcons wide receiver Roddy White and White’s company, SLW Holdings, among the defendants.
Jones and White are accused of conspiring with a construction company owner named John Van Beek and his son, Shaun, to run a black-market marijuana ring out of the Genetixs facility.
The defendants allegedly failed to report any sales, reportedly up to $3 million in total, since March when they illegally operated the Desert Hot Springs, California facility.
A state inspection of the Genetixs facility found numerous violations and John Van Beek's contract was terminated in March 2021. The Van Beeks allegedly disabled cameras at the facility during the activity and at one point stopped a new manager from entering the building, per court documents.
The defendants' attorney Rafael Emanuel denied the accusations in a phone call with reporters, adding that Jones is just a 'silent partner' in the agreement with Roddy White's company, SLW Holdings.
Genetixs' attorney, Marc Smith of the Los Angeles law firm Krane and Smith, told news sources that he and his clients have "substantial evidence to support the allegations contained in the complaint which have been vetted prior to the time the complaint was filed."
Titans yet to respond
The Tennessee Titans have not yet commented on the case.
Julio Jones played with Roddy White in Atlanta from 2011 to 2015 and the pair have remained friends. White played 11 seasons in the NFL and was a four-time Pro Bowler. He earned over $65 million in his pro football career.
The Titans traded for nine-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones last month. He is expected to form a dynamic offensive unit in Tennessee alongside quarterback Ryan Tannehill, A.J. Brown and star running back Derrick Henry.