New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker, currently on the commissioner’s exempt list, has been charged with four counts of robbery with a firearm stemming from an incident in Florida in May.
If convinced on his charges, Baker faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison (the maximum sentence is life).
Baker was originally arrested alongside Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar, but unlike Baker, Dunbar has not been charged for his alleged part in the incident with the prosecution citing “insufficient evidence.”
Since turning himself in on May 16, Baker and his attorneys have strongly proclaimed his innocence and even felt as if charges would be dropped in short order.
“Baker was not involved with any robbery that night, 100 percent no, and we’ve said that from day one,” Patrick Patel said in July.
The case has taken many bizarre twists and turns in recent months, including an alleged payoff scheme which took place at the offices of Dunbar’s former attorney, Michael Grieco, who subsequently became the focus of an investigation.
As recently as July 22, the Broward State Attorney’s Office was unsure whether to proceed with charges against Baker and Dunbar but obviously came to a conclusion in recent hours and days.
Given the serious nature of Baker’s alleged crimes, it’s unlikely the NFL will grant his appeal to be removed from the commissioner’s exempt list, but that’s the least of his current problems.
