Former USC cornerback Jack Jones pleads guilty to misdemeanor; felony charge is dismissed

Former USC cornerback Jack Jones pled guilty Friday in Ventura County Superior Court to a misdemeanor charge of second-degree commercial burglary stemming from a June incident in which he was arrested for breaking into a Panda Express restaurant in Santa Paula, according to online court records.

“Today all felony charges against Jack Jones were dismissed,” said attorney J. Tooson of Lessem, Newstat & Tooson, LLP. “Jack was sentenced on a single misdemeanor count of commercial burglary. Throughout this process, Jack has continued to further his education and will be enrolling at a four-year institution in the spring of 2019. Jack is excited about going back to school full-time and plans on returning to the football field with a renewed energy and focus.”

As part of his plea, Jones was sentenced to 90 days of jail time in Ventura County Jail. But Tooson said that he will be requesting that Jones instead serve his sentence with house arrest. He has a surrender date of Nov. 5. Tooson said the change from jail time to house arrest is a “formality” and that as part of California law Jones will only serve 45 days.

“This incident does not reflect who I am, and I look forward to showing my true character,” Jones said in the statement released by his attorney.

Tooson said Jones has been enrolled in classes at Moorpark College this fall in an effort to become eligible for the 2019 season. The former five-star recruit out of Long Beach Poly was dismissed from the USC football team last spring because of academic ineligibility.

brady.mccollough@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradyMcCollough