More details have emerged regarding the felony charges that FC Cincinnati forward Darren Mattocks is facing.
Mattocks, 29, has been charged with one count of making a false, fraudulent or incomplete insurance claim, and another count of theft by deception in Carroll Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania. Carroll Township is located about 26 miles south of Pittsburgh. The case was moved from District Court to the Court of Common Pleas in Washington County.
According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause obtained by ESPN from the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office, the charges originally stem from a single car accident that Mattocks was involved in on Jan. 20, 2019, at around 9:28 a.m. Mattocks and a passenger were traveling from New York City to Cincinnati on State Route 70, near Monongahela, Pennsylvania, when he lost control of his vehicle - a 2018 BMW X6 - after it encountered an ice patch on the road. The car went over an embankment and flipped over.
Mattocks and the passenger were taken by ambulance to Monongahela Valley Hospital. Mattocks didn't require treatment and was not admitted, while the passenger received treatment and was released. Mattocks and the passenger were then transported to a nearby hotel.
The affidavit goes on to explain that at the time of the accident, the car's insurance had lapsed, but Mattocks then took out a new policy at 11:42 a.m. that day. Mattocks then filed a claim on the insurance three days later. Since the accident involved a rollover, the car was deemed a total loss for $48,234.48.
When contacted by the insurance company, Mattocks said that he had acquired the insurance policy at 5 a.m. on the morning of the accident, and that the accident took place around noon.
The affidavit says that once the insurance company began investigating further, the inconsistencies in Mattocks' story became apparent. An arrest warrant was issued on Dec. 5, 2019, and bail was set at $50,000. A formal arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2020.
The Cincinnati Enquirer was the first to report the charges against Mattocks. FC Cincinnati, citing a policy of not discussing the personal matters of players, declined to comment.
Mattocks' attorney, David J. Shrager, issued the following statement: "My client respects both the laws of both his native country [Jamaica] and the United States. He has never been in any kind of criminal trouble whatsoever in his life, and this matter is merely a misunderstanding regarding insurance laws here in Pennsylvania. We look forward to clearing up this matter. We have been cooperating with the courts and continue to do so. We look forward to resolving this matter expeditiously."
An attempt to reach Mattocks through his agent was not successful.
According to the Enquirer, Mattocks took part in the first leg of FCC's preseason camp in Tucson, Arizona, but hasn't been present for the second leg in Bradenton, Florida. The Enquirer reported that on a Jan. 30 conference call with reporters, then-manager Ron Jans said that Mattocks wasn't in the team's plans.
This was set to be Mattocks' second season with Cincinnati. Last year, he scored three goals in 21 league appearances. Overall, Mattocks has spent eight seasons in MLS, having also spent time with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Portland Timbers, and D.C. United. His career numbers stand at 40 goals in 207 league, cup and playoff appearances. A Jamaican international, Mattocks has made 45 appearances for the Reggae Boyz, scoring 15 goals.
The disclosure of Mattocks' legal troubles marks the second off-field incident that FC Cincinnati has had to deal with in the last week. Last week it emerged that Jans was being investigated by the league for using a racial slur in front of players. In the wake of that investigation, Jans resigned his position late Monday evening.