Former New York Giants defensive back DeAndre Baker lost his NFL job over an alleged armed robbery, but he is no longer facing charges stemming from the incident.
The Broward State Attorney’s Office in Florida announced on Monday that all charges against Baker are being dropped. The news came after South Florida attorney William Dean was arrested on Monday morning and charged with extortion. According to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, the extortion attempt was made against Baker.
Dean is the attorney who was representing three of Baker’s four alleged victims. Investigators learned that Dean told Baker’s attorney his clients would do “anything you want, so long as the money is right.”
Police in Miramar, Fla., issued arrest warrants for Baker and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar — who was not charged — on May 14 after the two were accused of robbing some people at a party. They were accused of stealing $7,000 in cash and two watches with a combined value of $43,000. The players were said to have lost about $70,000 at a different party a few days earlier, and then robbed some people in attendance at the May 13 party.
Attorneys representing Dunbar and Baker said the players were victims of an extortion attempt. However, a report showed Dunbar’s attorney helped organize a payoff plan where the alleged victims were given $55,000 to recant their testimony about the robbery.
Baker, 23, was the No. 30 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. It may not be long before he is signed by a team given the shocking turn in his case.
