New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker submitted a “not guilty” plea to all eight charges brought against him on Monday night, all while trying to remain focused on preparing for the upcoming season.
Although his NFL future remains very much in doubt, Baker returned to his offseason workouts this week and decided to share some video of those efforts on social media.
Baker is charged with four counts of armed robbery with a firearm and four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm stemming from an alleged robbery at an illegal dice game last Wednesday night.
After surrendering to police over the weekend, Baker was released on $200,000 bond.
Since the arrest, Baker has reached out to the Giants to offer his apologies for being a distraction. He also asked the team and his teammates for forgiveness.
Baker’s legal team insists that he was a “mark” and the target of a “shakedown” by several people with a lengthy criminal history. His attorneys argue that he was merely playing Madden when the alleged incident unfolded, and that he quietly and calmly left the house when all “hell broke loose.”
“Go look at the criminal history of the victims,” Patel told the New York Post. “Go look at the criminal history of Baker. You know what the score is? One hundred to zero. Baker.
“They’re ruining this kid for no reason at all, other than he was an easy mark. I believe this is an extortion to try to get money from him.”
Even if he’s found not guilty of the charges, Baker could still face punishment under the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy.
