Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga accused of assault in bar
The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger
A bar employee said that Rey Maualuga punched him in the early morning hours Sunday.
Cincinnati Bengal Rey Maualuga was charged Friday with assault after a Downtown bar employee said the player punched him in the early morning hours Sunday.
Cincinnati police charged Maualuga with assault – a misdemeanor that carries a maximum jail term of 180 days –after Luxe bar employee Sammy Laham told police the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Maualuga punched him in the face, injuring him.
The incident is alleged to have occurred at 3:10 a.m. Sunday at the bar at Sixth and Main streets.
Maualuga, 25, of Downtown, is due in court Feb. 17 on the charge.
It’s not the first time Maualuga has been in trouble.
He was charged in a Jan. 29, 2010, incident with driving under the influence in Covington. He drove drunk and his car hit a parking meter and two cars with two girls, one age 17, in the car. His blood-alcohol level was 0.157, almost twice Kentucky’s 0.08 legal limit for driving.
Maualuga initially was suspended for one game after a conviction in that case, but appealed and the suspension was rescinded. He was fined $75,911.76 – two game checks and a portion of his signing bonus.
In the Covington incident, Maualuga was sentenced to seven days in jail and ordered to have no more criminal offenses for two years. That was made Feb. 3, 2010 – two years and two days before the current allegations.
He also attended a treatment program after that incident and entered the NFL’s Substance Abuse program.
Maualuga is in his fourth year with the Bengals.
Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said the team doesn’t comment on unresolved legal matters.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league “will review (the allegations) under our policies” but wouldn’t be more specific.
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