UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones sentenced in DWI case

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge Tuesday after pleading guilty on May 29 to a misdemeanor charge of
UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones sentenced in DWI case
UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones sentenced in DWI case /

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UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge Tuesday after pleading guilty on May 29 to a misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated.

Ithaca, N.Y., native Jones, 25, struck a utility pole with his 2012 black Bentley in the early morning hours of May 19 in Binghamton, N.Y. Jones, who was not injured in the crash, had two female passengers with him at the time. Both sustained minor injuries and were treated at a local hospital.

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles had suspended Jones' drivers license when he refused to take a breathalyzer test at the scene. On Tuesday, a Binghamton City judge ordered that Jones' license remain suspended for six months. Jones was ordered to pay the state a $1,000 fine, as well as $6,564 in restitution for the damaged utility pole, according to a pressconnects.com report.

Jones, who submitted to an alcohol dependency evaluation in July, was also ordered to undergo an undisclosed treatment program, said the Broome County District Attorney's Office, which wouldn't release any additional details. In 90 days, the fighter's attorney must submit a report on Jones' progress in the program.

As part of a plea deal with the Broome County District Attorney's Office, Jones must install an ignition interlock device into any vehicle he owns or has access to for the next six months. In addition, Jones must also attend a one-day crime-victim impact panel class on the dangers of drinking and driving.

Last November, Jones was cited for driving with a suspended license in Albuquerque, N.M., where he trains at the Jackson/Winkeljohn MMA gym, but that charge was dismissed in March for failure to prosecute. Jones' New York license was active at the time of his May arrest.

The fighter has also been involved in three documented multi-vehicle accidents since December 2008. Jones was not found at fault for any of the accidents, but was cited for "unsafe passing" during a January 2009 collision. Jones' infant daughter and fiancée were riding in the car with him at the time.

The youngest champion in UFC history and one of its highest-paid athletes, Jones makes his fourth title defense against two-time Olympic wrestler Dan Henderson at UFC 151 on Sept. 1 in Las Vegas.


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