Report: Authorities are looking at Mike Pouncey as more than a witness

Getty Images

Dolphins center Mike Pouncey apparently is more than a mere witness in the ever-growing case(s) against Aaron Hernandez.

Greg Bedard of SI.com, who with Pete Thamel reported on Sunday that Pouncey has been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury investigating Hernandez, gave a more dire assessment to Pouncey’s potential predicament during a Monday morning appearance on WQAM’s The Joe Rose Show.

“Overall, I would say this is a serious situation for Mike Pouncey,” Bedard said.  “This is not a situation where they just think he might have evidence towards the charges against Aaron Hernandez.  If he goes in there [to testify before the grand jury] thinking that’s what it’s about, he will be underprepared.  He should be prepared that the authorities are looking at him in regards to some charges.”

It’s not clear what the charges would or could be, but Bedard at one point made reference to the issue of finances.  Bedard also said that Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey (Mike’s twin) could be summoned to testify at some point, too.

With one murder case pending against Hernandez and a double-murder case possible, authorities reportedly are exploring whether Hernadnez was engaged in the illegal trafficking of weapons.  That detour from the murder charges has the feel of an effort to ensure that there will be a way to put an actual or perceived “bad guy” away, in the event the murder charge(s) don’t stick.

120 responses to “Report: Authorities are looking at Mike Pouncey as more than a witness

  1. wow..those Gators really stick together..through everything..doesn’t matter if you are a great athlete or not..criminal’s come in all types of occupations and athletic ability..

  2. Couldn’t the “detour” from the murder charge not be a detour at all? Isn’t it possible (likely, even) that they’re pursuing the trafficking charge to put heat on whomever is in possession of the weapon? And why does it have to be one or the other: investigators can follow up on two separate charges, even if they’re linked to the same event.

  3. It figures. The only legitimate above-average player Jeff Ireland has ever drafted, and he never bothered to check into what kind of crowd he ran with. Par for the course, Jeff.

  4. I love the look on his face when he was served….classic “what’s this about”. NFL security was bustling about as well…it was great to see the images. Apparently, they had no idea.

  5. Could be more than a detour. Nothing prosecutors like better than busting gangs and conspiracy cases. This is beginning to smell like both.

  6. Looks like they don’t have a strong case against Hernandez and now they’re trying to get him on other charges….if they had him cold for the murder they wouldn’t even be looking into gun charges….there will probably be more nfl players served with papers very soon

  7. “With one murder case pending against Hernandez and a double-murder case possible, authorities reportedly are exploring whether Hernadnez was engaged in the illegal trafficking of weapons. That detour from the murder charges has the feel of an effort to ensure that there will be a way to put an actual or perceived “bad guy” away, in the event the murder charge(s) don’t stick.”

    ……………….0r………………………..

    The authorities are just doing their jobs?

  8. “Free Hernandez” indeed. Imagine the jail time associated with being the one who illegally trafficked AH’s weapons that were used in his murders.

    If Pouncey does land in some sort of legal trouble from all this, I say “Free the Phins from Ireland”.

  9. How perfect would this all be if it ends with Tebow’s holier than though act being a Gustavo El Pollo Loco style cover up and he’s really the head of the gators gun trafficking club?

  10. how is the world did Tebow let this happen under his watch??

    absurd..
    i bet these guys are just taking the fall for Tebow,, he puts the fear of Gog into people.

  11. All of this makes me wonder about what happened at Florida. Remember when Urban Meyer contemplated stepping down, citing anxiety and whatnot? He related it to not being able to spend time with his family and from working way too much. I’m thinking it really boiled down to the fact that he was learning more and more about the character of the players he brought in and became less and less able to look at himself in the mirror.

  12. Soon every player in the NFL will be charged. In Leslie Frazier’s case, he will be charged for impersonating an NFL head coach. That is a felony.

  13. and don’t forget his “bother” Chris Rainey who was kicked off the Steelers earlier this year for assaulting his girlfriend, after being suspended by the Gators for threatening to kill her.

    Fortunately for Rainey, St. Urban didn’t believe it so there was no real punishment!

  14. If there was a fictitious movie made using the Aaron Hernandez case for its basis and included Mike Pouncey as well, I would bet most audiences wouldn’t believe it because it’s too ridiculous.

    Truth really is stranger than fiction.

  15. The Pounceys were “high character” guys via draft experts. Where are the comments indicting Mel Kiper, Mayock, the Steelers/Dolphins? Where are the comments blaming these people for overlooking criminal behavior like they all wanted to blame Urban Meyer, etc. in the initial Hernandez case? Truth is most of these guys are sketchy, then have an opportunity to turn it around, some do some don’t. Don’t blame everyone else for a few individuals behavior.

  16. Glad the LIONS steered clear of this turkey and took Nick Fairley instead!

    ps- Just wanted to send out a thanks to Dallas for long hard afternoon of ruff stuff! now go clean yourselves off.

  17. how can you not love the nfl. its like a real life train wreck. constantly something going on with storylines and subplots. its simply rivoting. this is reality tv at its best! I do love me some NFL!!!

  18. If Urban Meyer caught a whiff of this — it’s no wonder he almost stroked out on us, wonder if the Coach will get subpoenaed?

  19. Ahhhh, south Florida. We just can’t get enough. Perhaps it is time for Paradise Lost part deux.

  20. I met Aaron Hernandez at a KFC once. I think I’m gonna pull a Snowden and look for asylum somewhere. The “law” is coming after anyone and everyone that had any connection to A.H.

  21. Two thoughts:

    1. A little Karma… if the Pouncey’s end up going from the Free Hernandez hats to flipping on him in order to get leniency.

    2. I hope this isn’t the tip of the iceberg when it comes to players being implicated in weapons trafficking.

  22. Breaking News: Tim Tebow also receives subpoena to testify. The gators are the new ‘canes.

  23. Do you think Maurkice Pouncey is looking forward to the Steelers game on Sunday at Gillette Stadium ? Think he has a few things to be concerned with his visit and I don’t mean the Patriots.

  24. well…if they put him in the Grand Jury to testify about to the Odin Lloyd murder investigation, or the July 2012 double murder investigation, he will have transactional immunity with respect to those cases and then CANNOT be charged.

  25. .if they had him cold for the murder they wouldn’t even be looking into gun charges

    If they didn’t have him cold his ass wouldn’t be sitting in a cell right now.

  26. Wondering if….Pouncey gets charged w/weapons and or accessory . Or worse, indicted like Hernandez’ girlfriend.

    Wondering if….that happens…will the Dolphins drop Pouncey as fast as the Patriots did Hernandez…well before they knew he’d been accused of murder??

    Something tells me no…they won’t.

  27. They don’t generally subpoena someone who is potentially involved criminally. It invalidates their testimony for the time being and you’re better off building your case and then squeezing them to flip on the bigger fish.

  28. No wonder Tebo prayed so much! He needed to save his teammates so he could look good, win the Heisman, and fool somebody into drafting him waaaaay too high!

  29. You just don’t want to know what these guys do in their spare time. Better we don’t know. The league has a real problem on its hands.

  30. Bedard is wrong.

    If he goes in there and it is more than a Hernandez thing, he will NOT have to testify. They will TELL him that he will need an attorney.

    One never HAS to testify against oneself.

  31. TheWizard says: Oct 28, 2013 3:42 PM

    .if they had him cold for the murder they wouldn’t even be looking into gun charges

    If they didn’t have him cold his ass wouldn’t be sitting in a cell right now
    ———————————————————–
    Mr. District Attorney,
    How many people do you know walking around free on bail on a Murder 1 charge?

  32. Who’s scheduled to play the Patriots this weekend? You guessed it…the Steelers. Since Maurkice is on I.R., though, do you think he opts to remain in Pittsburgh to watch the game at home rather than joining his teammates on the sidelines in Foxboro and then getting served? Maurkice taking the trip with his teammates to New England could potentially be more damaging than Ryan Clark taking the trip with his teammates to Denver.

  33. ampats says:

    Do you think Maurkice Pouncey is looking forward to the Steelers game on Sunday at Gillette Stadium ? Think he has a few things to be concerned with his visit and I don’t mean the Patriots.
    ————————————————

    Maurkice Pouncey has been on IR since about 20 seconds into the 2013 season … so he will not be at the Pats game Sunday.

    Like redrobots44, I also remember the Pounceys being touted as “high character” draft prospects. Just goes to show you should choose your friends–and your hats–wisely.

  34. ampats says: Oct 28, 2013 3:32 PM

    Do you think Maurkice Pouncey is looking forward to the Steelers game on Sunday at Gillette Stadium ? Think he has a few things to be concerned with his visit and I don’t mean the Patriots.
    ~~~~~~~
    That’s pretty funny but he’s on IR. They’ll have to travel to subpoena him.

  35. Welcome to the wonderful world of college football. If it isn’t pedophiles at Penn St., it’s murderers in Florida. You gotta love it !

  36. Now we get to see if Maurkice Pouncey is really the high-character, standup guy everyone was saying he was. If he has nothing to hide, he’ll go to New England with his team. If he’s a loser, he’ll get a doctor to say that he shouldn’t be travelling on a plane.

  37. If the murders were related to interstate trafficking, then the death penalty could come into play should AH be charged by federal prosecutors.

  38. Some one get them Ray lewis’ attorney information and they will be no need for hats, he will be playing in the super bowl like nothing happened no remorse no worries

  39. mackcarrington says:

    Now we get to see if Maurkice Pouncey is really the high-character, standup guy everyone was saying he was. If he has nothing to hide, he’ll go to New England with his team. If he’s a loser, he’ll get a doctor to say that he shouldn’t be travelling on a plane.

    —————————————————
    Sorry, but being standup has nothing to do with it. The man is on injured reserve. That means he does not travel with the team to New England or anywhere else.

  40. And everyone thought Urban Meyer was having a nervous breakdown, Hell he was just nervous his players were going to go GANGSTA on him.

  41. I dont know about you all but this just points to Hernandez walking. Clearly they are desperate to pull up whatever they can. So now Pouncey is some how indirectly involved? C’mon man!!!

  42. What a surprise! Another NFL player is a complete piece of garbage. Onto the only questions that truly matter:
    1) Can they get out of the contract if he goes to jail?
    2) If so, are they still stuck with the cap hit?

  43. The more I think about this….

    The NFL needs to step in…and if in any way accused, of anything to do w/this…

    Should suspend Pouncey…this matter too serious

  44. It’s only a matter of time before Tebow is found broke, sticky and confused in an alley way Dumpster, with fishnet stockings and smeared lip stick.

  45. @ Deb:
    Ok. Thanks for pointing that fact out to me. Now, injured reserve aside, would you still support him if he were subpoenaed anyway?

  46. @mackcarrington …

    Wasn’t supporting Maurkice–simply pointing out that the team won’t give him a lift to Foxboro just to be subpoenaed. That’s an NFL thing.

    As the sister/sis-in-law of criminal defense attorneys and someone keen on Constitutional rights, I believe that if the Feds want to subpoena anyone, they need to make that happen. It’s not the target’s responsibility to go to them. If Maurkice is subpoenaed, I expect him to follow the law.

    It’s possible the Feds are pressuring the Pounceys and others just to get more on Hernandez. But if Maurkice has been involved in illegal weapons trafficking, he should pay the penalty like anyone else.

  47. logicalvoiceseys says:Oct 28, 2013 2:54 PM

    A priest, a murderer, a racist, and a pair of twins walk into a bar in Florida… (Tebow, Hernandez, Cooper, and the Pouncey’s)
    —————————————————–

    A set of twins

  48. Conspiracies born in hell rarely have angels as witnesses…….Gators, maybe, but not angels.

  49. DAMN! I can’t wait for the movie! I just hope it’s not one of those that you’d have to catch on Oxygen or Wifetime….er….Lifetime.

  50. Man, the Dolphins should have seen this coming and never wasted a first round pick on him!

    Does that sound familiar, haters?

    That being said, Maurkice better not make the trip to Foxboro this weekend with the Steelers.

  51. I hope Ireland is next. Unfortunately that’s the only way we’ll get rid of Ireland. Ross is too clueless.

  52. Pouncy may very well be guilty of something. Murder is not it and he is not who the authorities are after. It could be his testimony (and no charges plea deal) that puts Hernandez away. Thats how this game is played.

  53. Reading all of the comments takes me to this opinion, most don’t know what they are talking about, and the character assassination, NO ONE knows why they want to have a talk with him, I think we should wait and see where this goes, however the children want blood. Bill

  54. Not trying to jump to conclusions here on Pouncey, but if this is true what kind of a moron makes good money as a NFL athlete. A dream job lots of college athletes and people all over the world dream of and you take it for granted like that, would be very foolish how some athletes do this all the time.

  55. Can’t wait to hear from all the deranged Steelers’ fans who spent the last 13 years hurling false accusations at Ray Lewis.

  56. Prosecutorial discretion alows the prosecutor to pick the people he wants to charge, and then pick the charges he wants to make stick. It is a major threat to justice and can interfere with due process. Given the vast web of legislation and regulation that exists today, virtually any American bears the risk of being targeted for prosecution. They can pick the man, then search the law books for some offense they feel they can pin on him, because they feel they need to “get him,” rather than prosecute the crime that needs to be prosecuted. The books are filled with incredibly broad and obscure crimes like “false statements,” and “obstructing the mails,” (5 years and possibly a felony conviction) that you could prosecute almost anyone on. The trick is finding the obscure offense that fits the character of the targeted individual, that carries the toughest sentence. The result is often jail time.

    America is over criminalized, and the proliferation of federal criminal statutes and regulations has reached the point where virtually every citizen, knowingly or not (usually not) is potentially at risk for prosecution, and prosecutors no longer need to wait for obvious signs of a crime. Instead of finding Professor Plum dead in the conservatory and launching an investigation, authorities can instead start an investigation of Colonel Pounc…er….Mustard as soon as someone has suggested he is a shady character. And since everyone is a criminal if prosecutors look hard enough, they are guaranteed to find something eventually.

    You have rights dealing with police and you have rights when dealing with the court, but the actual decision of whether or not to charge a person with a crime is almost completely unconstrained. Yet, because of overcharging and plea bargains, the decision to prosecute is probably the single most important event in the chain of criminal procedure.

    Despite this, most of us are safe. Prosecutors have limited resource and there are political constraints on over zealous prosecuting. And presumably, most of the time prosecutors can be expected to exercise their discretion soundly. Unfortunately, these limitations on prosecutorial power are likely to be least effective where prosecutors act inappropriately because of politics or prejudice. Limited resources or not, a prosecutor who is anxious to go after a political enemy or high profile public figure like this will always find sufficient staff to bring charges, and political constraints are least effective where a prosecutor is playing to public passions or hysteria (like now).

    Once charged with a crime, defendants who have to pay the costs of s defense, will face strong pressure to accept a plea bargain because of the tendency of prosecutors to throw in a list of kitchen sink charges based on these obscure laws. The thinking is if a defendant faces a hundred felony charges, the prospect that a jury might go along with even one of them will be enough to make a plea deal look attractive. Then, of course, there are the reputational damages involved, which may be of greatest importance in cases where political motivations might be in play, and the defendant is a celebrity. Worse, prosecutors have no countervailing incentives not to overcharge. A defendant who makes the wrong choice will wind up in jail. A prosecutor who charges improperly will suffer little, if any, adverse consequence beyond a poor win/loss record. Prosecutors are even absolutely immune from lawsuits over misconduct in their prosecutorial capacity.

    We’re seeing some of this here with the Aaron Hernandez case but don’t think it couldn’t happen to you, even if you are innocent. Our law books are hysterical, and I don’t mean that in a laughing sense.

  57. Let me introduce you to “Karma” ladies and gents…

    Whats pondersome is that originally he (Hernandez) was charged with the murder of a supposed friend. Then there came two additional possible murder charges pending. Now comes the investigaion into possible weapons trafficking. Wonder IF they got on the trail of the gun issue by the weapon/weapons that were used in the murders?…

    The Pouncey brothers better cut their allegiance to this idiot and start worrying about their own a$$es spending 20 + years in prison for weapons charges. An example of GREED at its finest, not enough that these guys have great talent for the game. IDIOTS got multi million dollar contracts but possibly threw it away trying to be gangsters….

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Not a member? Register now!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.