Deandre Baker is facing multiple charges after he was accused of robbing people at gunpoint at a party last week, but the New York Giants cornerback’s legal team is confident the case is going to be thrown out.
Patrick G. Patel, one of Baker’s attorneys, told SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano on Sunday night that Baker is the victim of a “shakedown.” Patel said the charges and arrest have rattled Baker, but he is confident the 22-year-old can make the most of a bad situation.
“He’s got an opportunity to become the next Ray Lewis and not the next Ray Rice,” Patel said. “There’s two guys who went in two different directions. I told DeAndre that. And he seems very focused. He’s scared straight. I can say that.”
Lewis, of course, was part of a murder investigation early in his NFL career. Rice never played in the NFL again after a video showed him knocking his then-fiancee unconscious in a casino elevator.
Baker and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar have been accused of robbing victims at a party in Florida of expensive watches and cash and making a getaway in luxury vehicles that were waiting outside the party. Patel called the allegations “complete garbage” and said there are some witnesses who have recanted testimony and others who can attest to Baker’s innocence. The attorney feels it is obvious Baker and Dunbar were targeted because they’re NFL players.
“There was no robbery,” Patel said. “Nothing at all. He’s absolutely taking that position. And I’m confident the state is going to look at all the facts and realize it’s absurd that a kid making $2 million a year is going to steal a fake watch.”
The Giants have asked Baker to stay away from virtual meetings and workouts for the time being. Patel said he believes Baker could rejoin the team as early as next week and that the first-round pick “seems like a changed individual” just from the time he spent in jail — guilty or not.
Baker apologized to the Giants on Sunday for becoming a distraction.
