The Edmonton Eskimos were unaware of the criminal investigation involving Euclid Patrick Cummings over the season the defensive tackle played with them in 2017.

The 26-year-old native of Atlanta was playing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers when an incident took place in Vancouver on Oct. 16, 2016, and had already been signed by then-Eskimos general manager Ed Hervey when Cummings was charged on April 21, 2017, with four criminal offences involving two alleged victims.

“We were unaware of the charges and will not comment further as the matter is before the courts,” offered a statement provided by the Eskimos, who happened to be between general managers at the time the charges were laid.

Ed Hervey, who initially signed Cummings on Feb. 27, 2017, was fired by the club on April 7, 2017, while his replacement, Brock Sunderland, was hired on April 24, 2017.

Hervey signed the six-foot-four, 300-pound Georgia Tech product for the second time in as many years, this time as GM of the B.C. Lions, to a reported $160,000 contract on Feb. 13, only to see it voided by the Canadian Football League on Wednesday once the charges – including sexual assault, assault and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm to one person, and the sexual assault of another – came to light.

“Upon learning of the criminal charges facing Euclid Cummings, CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie has voided his contract with the B.C. Lions,” the league said in a press release. “As these charges are before the courts, the CFL will offer no further comment.”

Cummings, who signed with the Lions on the same day his contract with the Eskimos expired, tied for the team lead with eight sacks, finished second in the CFL with three forced fumbles and earned 21 tackles in 2017.

“We support the commissioner’s decision to void the contract of Euclid Cummings in light of criminal charges he is currently facing,” read a statement from the Lions attributing Hervey. “We were given no indication by the player or his representation that these charges existed and I assure our fans, partners and supporters of the CFL across Canada, that we would not have offered him a contract had we known about this situation.

“Given that matter is before the criminal courts and under a publication ban, we will not be offering further comment.”

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TORONTO — The CFL voided Euclid Cummings’ contract with the B.C. Lions after the player was charged with four criminal counts, including sexual assault.

The league made the announcement about the contract Wednesday after learning of the charges the defensive lineman was facing, but provided no further details. However, Vancouver Provincial Court documents indicate Cummings was charged April 21, 2017, with four criminal offences involving two alleged victims.

The alleged incidents occurred in Vancouver on Oct. 16, 2016. At the time Cummings was playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who faced the Lions at B.C. Place Stadium on Oct. 14, 2016.

Cummings, 26, of Atlanta, is charged with sexual assault, assault and uttering a threat to cause death or bodily harm to one person and the sexual assault of another.

The six-foot-three, 300-pound Cummings signed through the 2018 season as a free agent last month with B.C.

“Upon learning of the criminal charges facing Euclid Cummings, CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie has voided his contract with the B.C. Lions,” the league said in a statement Wednesday. “As these charges are before the courts, the CFL will offer no further comment.”

B.C. general manager Ed Hervey said he had no idea of Cummings’ legal woes when he signed the player.

“We support the commissioner’s decision to void the contract of Euclid Cummings in light of criminal charges he is currently facing,” Hervey said in a statement. “We were given no indication by the player or his representation that these charges existed and I assure our fans, partners and supporters of the CFL across Canada, that we would not have offered him a contract had we known about this situation.”

Cummings had eight sacks and 21 tackles last season with the Edmonton Eskimos. He has also spent time with Winnipeg and Toronto.

TORONTO — The CFL voided Euclid Cummings’ contract with the B.C. Lions after the player was charged with four criminal counts, including sexual assault.

The league made the announcement about the contract Wednesday after learning of the charges the defensive lineman was facing, but provided no further details. However, Vancouver Provincial Court documents indicate Cummings was charged April 21, 2017, with four criminal offences involving two alleged victims.

The alleged incidents occurred in Vancouver on Oct. 16, 2016. At the time Cummings was playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who faced the Lions at B.C. Place Stadium on Oct. 14, 2016.

Cummings, 26, of Atlanta, is charged with sexual assault, assault and uttering a threat to cause death or bodily harm to one person and the sexual assault of another.

The six-foot-three, 300-pound Cummings signed through the 2018 season as a free agent last month with B.C.

“Upon learning of the criminal charges facing Euclid Cummings, CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie has voided his contract with the B.C. Lions,” the league said in a statement Wednesday. “As these charges are before the courts, the CFL will offer no further comment.”

B.C. general manager Ed Hervey said he had no idea of Cummings’ legal woes when he signed the player.

“We support the commissioner’s decision to void the contract of Euclid Cummings in light of criminal charges he is currently facing,” Hervey said in a statement. “We were given no indication by the player or his representation that these charges existed and I assure our fans, partners and supporters of the CFL across Canada, that we would not have offered him a contract had we known about this situation.”

Cummings had eight sacks and 21 tackles last season with the Edmonton Eskimos. He has also spent time with Winnipeg and Toronto.

The CFL and B.C. Lions have nullified Euclid Cummings’ contract after it came to light Wednesday that the defensive lineman was facing criminal charges in a Vancouver court for sexual assault and threats.

Provincial court documents show the 6-foot-3, 300-pound Atlanta native was charged last April with four criminal offences involving two alleged victims stemming from incidents in Vancouver on Oct. 16, 2016. His team at the time, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, played their regular-season finale at B.C. Place on Oct. 14, 2016.

Cummings is charged with sexual assault, assault and uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm to one person, and the sexual assault of another.

The 26-year-old played 16 games the following season with the Edmonton Eskimos — his eight sacks ranking third in the CFL, his three forced fumbles second-best in the league, along with 22 tackles — but news of the charges — filed on April 21, 2017 — only surfaced Wednesday. The league and Lions were both quick to react, voiding his contract as per provisions in the collective bargaining agreement, and scrubbing his presence from their websites.

The CFL released a statement Wednesday. “Upon learning of the criminal charges facing Euclid Cummings, CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie has voided his contract with the B.C. Lions. As these charges are before the courts, the CFL will offer no further comment.”

Lions general manager Ed Hervey also released a statement, and declined further comment.

“We support the Commissioner’s decision to void the contract of Euclid Cummings in light of criminal charges he is currently facing. We were given no indication by the player or his representation that these charges existed and I assure our fans, partners and supporters of the CFL across Canada, that we would not have offered him a contract had we known about this situation. Given that matter is before the criminal courts and under a publication ban, we will not be offering further comment.”

The Canadian Press reported that Cummings had signed a $150,000 contract with the Leos, including a $70,000 bonus that B.C. can’t recoup and will be counted against their salary cap.

The signing of the Georgia Tech product, who began his career with the Toronto Argonauts in 2014 and played two seasons there before moving to Winnipeg in 2016, was a big boost to the defensive line.

“Euclid is a young, up-and-coming lineman who definitely has the ability and potential to be one of most dominant interior players in the league,” Hervey said when Cummings was signed in mid-February.

“He’s equally skilled at playing the run and getting to the quarterback and never takes a play off.”

The revelation of the charges is particularly awkward, considering the Lions’ commitment to the Be More Than A Bystander campaign. Several members of the team have toured schools around the province, addressing the violence against women and girls and raising awareness of the issue.

Cummings appears in B.C. Provincial Court in Vancouver for trial on Oct. 15, 2018.

jadams@postmedia.com