Getty Image / Patrick McDermott
After finally ridding themselves of the Deshaun Watson saga, the Houston Texans find themselves at the center of controversy again thanks to their minority owner.
Javier Loya, who has been a minority owner since the franchise came to existence in 2002, is facing some serious criminal charges.
According to Pro Football Talk, Loya is facing charges for several alleged sexual assault incidents.
The alleged sexual assault charges took place in the state of Kentucky. Pro Football Talk provides more details on the matter.
“PFT has learned that Loya faces one count of first-degree rape, five counts of first-degree sexual abuse, and one count of third-degree sexual abuse. Based on public records posted online, the case is set for a pretrial conference on August 22.”
As of now, it’s not clear as to when the possible incidents occurred.
However, “according to the clerk of criminal courts in Jefferson County, Kentucky, the arrest warrant was issued on May 10, 2023,” per Pro Football Talk.
Additionally, Mike Florio also reports that as of 11 A.M. Monday morning, the NFL released a statement via email.
“The club promptly notified the league of the serious pending charges against Mr. Loya after they were filed. Mr. Loya has not been permitted to participate in any league or club activity during this process. He is no longer on any league committees.”
The Texans franchise also released a statement on its minority owner Javier Loya, via Mike Florio.
“We are aware of the serious charges filed in the Commonwealth of Kentucky against Javier Loya, one of our outside limited partners,” the Texans said in a statement issued to PFT. “We have agreed with Mr. Loya that while these charges are pending, he will remove himself entirely from any team or League activities.”
Loya is the co-founder and CEO of OTC Global Holdings, LP. His company is a a leading liquidity provider that specializes in natural gas, electricity, NGL, crude oil, petrochemicals, and refined products.
For now, it’s not clear what his future holds, as he must go through the legal process now that he’s facing these very serious criminal charges.
As mentioned previously, a pretrial conference is set for August 22. So, more information should come to light later this month.