A former professional football player and college football standout at East Carolina University has been arrested by Johnston County authorities for numerous crimes in his neighborhood.
Jonathan Edward Williams, 27, of Dallas Circle, Princeton is charged with committing two break-ins at the same home two weeks apart. He was also charged with stealing a US flag from the front yard of a nearby home.
Two weeks ago, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said Williams broke into a home on Bizzell Grove Church Road near Princeton. After the break-in the homeowner installed a home security camera system which reportedly caught Williams using a chair and attempting to break into the same home again this week. He was not identified as a suspect in the first break-in until the second incident occurred.
Williams, who was born in Smithfield, was arrested Wednesday night and charged with two counts of breaking and entering, two counts of larceny, two counts of possessing stolen property, and one count of possessing burglary tools.
According to an online search, Williams played high school football for the Junius H. Rose High School in Greenville. The team went undefeated his junior and senior seasons with a 32-0 record, winning the State 4-A championships both years. He later played football for the ECU Pirates before being signed by the Cincinnati Bengals in July 2011. He was released by the team a month later.
In 2013 he played in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders and in 2014 for the Ottawa Redblacks. He became a free agent after the 2014 season.
As of Friday afternoon he was still being held in the Johnston County Jail under a $60,000 bond.
