Jon Jones, UFC icon, faces additional charges after February car accident in New Mexico

Jones, who is 36 years old, was initially charged with a misdemeanor for reportedly leaving the scene of an accident. A second case was filed recently, adding a charge of "Use of Telephone to Terrify, Intimidate, Threaten, Harass, Annoy or Offend." This alleged incident occurred on February 21 in Albuquerque. Upon arriving at the crash scene, the police found a woman in the passenger seat who was said to be intoxicated and partially undressed. The woman claimed Jones was driving and had fled on foot after the accident. Subsequently, Jones allegedly made threatening or violent remarks during a phone conversation with a police aide, implying access to "lethal force through third parties." He attempted to contact the woman involved 13 times after the crash based on call records. Investigators also noticed a suspicious lack of phone activity by Jones during the incident. Jones has pleaded not guilty to the hit-and-run charge and is expected to face a bench trial on August 14. An arraignment regarding the new charges is scheduled for August 4. Jones' lawyer, Christopher Dodd, has filed a motion to dismiss the new case, arguing that it duplicates charges from the original case and breaches the "mandatory joinder" rule. Dodd labeled the filing as "truly unbelievable" and implied that Jones is unfairly singled out. Jones, a former two-division UFC champion, retired from MMA in June just before news of the incident emerged. Despite his retirement, he has hinted at a return to the sport following an offer by President Donald Trump to host a UFC event at the White House.