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Beleaguered Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker is facing serious charges for armed robbery and aggravated assault stemming from an incident in the Miami area — charges that could land him in jail and end his football career. Baker’s attorney, though, said in a statement Friday night, “We believe our client is innocent of any charges.’’ The …
Beleaguered Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker is facing serious charges for armed robbery and aggravated assault stemming from an incident in the Miami area — charges that could land him in jail and end his football career.
Baker’s attorney, though, said in a statement Friday night, “We believe our client is innocent of any charges.’’
The Miramar (Fla.) Police Department issued an arrest warrant for Baker, Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar and another man after an incident late Wednesday night. Baker is charged with four counts of armed robbery with a firearm and four counts of aggravated assault.
Dunbar’s lawyer, Michael Grieco, told the Miami Herald he has affidavits from five witnesses saying Dunbar was not involved.
Baker’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, issued a statement on his Instagram account casting doubt on the accuracy of the police report.
“We understand that the officers can only base warrants on what was told to them at the time,’’ Cohen wrote. “We have had affidavits from several witnesses that also dispute the allegations and exculpate our client. Our investigator has had them for some time.
“We would have rather presented them to the court at the proper time, rather than in the media, but in this day and age, people rush to judgement. Where some seek publicity, we seek justice. I look forward to moving this case forward to proper conclusion, as we believe our client is innocent of any charges.’’
As of Friday night, Baker had not yet turned himself into police.
Depending on how this plays out, Baker could go down as a wasted draft pick and never, ever again suit up for the Giants and it is possible he never again steps foot on the field as an NFL player. At 22 years old, he might have flushed his career away.
If Baker was, as witnesses say, holding a semi-automatic weapon, he could face a mandatory minimum of 15 years for each of the four armed robbery charges under Florida law if convicted. New York has much stiffer gun laws than Florida, but Florida imposes harsher penalties for armed robbery. Plea deals could lower the sentence.
“I see a player who seems to be facing serious trouble,’’ David Touger, a New York-based criminal defense attorney, told The Post. “You have eyewitnesses who seem to know him. This guy [allegedly] takes out a gun, threatens people. If they really have witnesses saying he said, ‘Shoot that guy,’ that’s a real crime. That’s heavy stuff.’’
The Giants traded up into the back end of the first round in the 2019 NFL Draft to take Baker, considered the top cornerback in the class. Baker and Dunbar were at a cookout when they allegedly took thousands of dollars in cash and watches from their alleged victims, with Baker brandishing a semi-automatic gun and allegedly instructing a third person, masked, to shoot someone at the party, according to the police report.
One victim told police he was “in fear for his life.’’
Baker and the two other men are also accused of premeditation, as their three luxury cars were “pre-positioned’’ for a quick getaway.
Two days earlier, Baker and Dunbar allegedly lost about $70,000 while gambling at a party in the Miami area.
“His toughest argument here is the gun count,’’ Touger said. “The robbery counts sound really bad, he went out, took their jewelry … but in a poker game, if these are the same people from the last poker game and he thought they were cheating, you can kind of make excuses for the robbery. I would have optimism about winning that case. The problem here is the gun. Even in Florida you can’t use a gun to threaten somebody.’’
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Whenever Baker turns himself in, how seriously law enforcement and the government want to go after him will be reflected somewhat by the bail application. If it is fairly nominal and he is instructed to return to court in a month or so, it is an indication the warrant looks worse than it actually might be. If the bail is set high — think $250,000 or $300,000 or even higher — it is an indication this case is as bad as it looks and there is greater urgency to lock up Baker right now.
Kirby Smart, the Georgia head coach, recently told The Post, “I love DeAndre,’’ but he did admit Baker is not cut from the same cloth as another former Bulldogs player, Andrew Thomas, the offensive tackle the Giants selected with the No. 4 pick in this year’s draft.
“DeAndre comes from a little tougher background,’’ Smart said. “He’s from Miami, he grew up down there and he never wanted to be in the limelight, he didn’t enjoy doing the interviews. Andrew probably enjoys it a little more. They’re different kids.’’
