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Wawa theft charges dropped against released Cowboys wide receiver Lucky Whitehead

As a Dallas sports anchor noted, it's "never dull covering the Dallas Cowboys."

The Cowboys cut wide receiver Lucky Whitehead after he was accused of shoplifting from a Virigina Wawa, charges he disputes.
The Cowboys cut wide receiver Lucky Whitehead after he was accused of shoplifting from a Virigina Wawa, charges he disputes.Read moreAP File Photos

An odd week for Lucky Whitehead just got a lot more bizarre.

On Tuesday, Prince William County police said authorities had dropped all charges against the released Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, explaining in a statement that the suspect in a Wawa shoplifting case gave false information to police. That information led to the football player being erroneously linked to the case.

The Cowboys released Whitehead on Monday during the first day of training camp after the team found out about the charges. It is unclear if the Cowboys will allow him to return.

Someone who identified himself as Whitehead had been charged with petit larceny for allegedly stealing about $40 worth of snacks from a Wawa in Woodbridge, Va., around 1 a.m. on June 22. When the suspect missed a scheduled court date on July 6, a warrant was issued for Whitehead's arrest. That led the Cowboys to release Whitehead, who has spent the last three seasons with the team.

Whitehead disputed the charges from the start, telling Dallas Morning News reporter Brandon George: "I didn't even know about that. I don't know what's going on."

Police said on Tuesday that the suspect provided officers a name, date of birth and social security number that matched Rodney Darnell Whitehead Jr., and said a DMV photo was similar to the man that was being held in custody.

David Rich, Whitehead's agent, told ESPN's Adam Schefter that a plane ticket showed Whitehead landing in Washington D.C. after a flight from Dallas at 11:30 a.m. on June 22, 10 hours after the alleged crime occurred.

"It's just unfortunate for the kid," Rich said.

Last week, Whitehead's dog, Blitz, was stolen and held for ransom after a robbery at his Dallas home. Blitz was eventually returned to Whitehead by a Dallas-area rapper named Boogotti Kasino, who had posted a profanity-laden video demanding $20,000 but later said he was just asking for money he had paid to the original dognappers.

Whitehead's release comes after the Cowboys have been dogged by a series of off-field incidents this off-season.

"Whitehead paid the price, not for his arrest, but for Damien Wilson's arrest and Ezekiel Elliott's various transgressions and Nolan Carroll's DWI arrest and the suspensions of pass rushers related to the league's drug policy," wrote Dallas Morning News columnist Tim Cowlishaw. "The Cowboys were sick of being the butt of jokes and Whitehead getting popped for shoplifting was the last straw, so they brought the hammer down."

Cornerback Nolan Carroll was arrested for DWI in May. Earlier this month, linebacker Damien Wilson was arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge. Two other defensive players, David Irving and Randy Gregory, have already been suspended to start the season.

Then there is Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys' star running back. Last week, Elliott was involved in a bar fight that involved a bouncer's getting punched in the face and sent to the hospital. Elliott was not charged, and both Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jason Garrett continue to vouch for the young running back's character.

"I can give you the same old excuses – young, aggressive, got a lot of energy," Jones said. "Hard to paint that picture of the days when it won't be this easy, they won't be as pretty and they won't have the money. Somehow you've got to paint the picture."

Elliott and the team are also waiting for the conclusion of an NFL investigation into claims of domestic violence made by his former girlfriend. Prosecutors in Ohio decided against bringing criminal charges against Elliott, but the NFL could still suspend him for one or two games for behavior that the league deems inappropriate.

In March, Elliott was caught on a video, posted on TMZ, exposing a woman's breast during a St. Patrick's Day parade in Dallas. A representative for Elliott said the woman (who is seen later in the video flashing the crowd herself) was not upset, and the two hung out after the parade. He was also involved in an incident in which a friend brought a loaded gun to a bar in Ohio in February, and was spotted at a marijuana dispensary in Seattle last summer, before the Cowboys' first preseason game, a move that angered Jones at the time.

"In general, while it may not be wrong, it's just not good," Jones said of Elliott's visit. "I don't want to say any more."

As NBC 5 sports anchor Pat Doney noted on Twitter last week, it's "never dull covering the Dallas Cowboys."