The charges leveled against former Giants first-round pick DeAndre Baker are being dropped.
The charges leveled against former Giants first-round pick DeAndre Baker are being dropped, the Broward State Attorney's Office (Fla.) told Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News on Monday.
Baker was charged with four counts of robbery with a firearm stemming from an alleged incident in South Florida this spring.
"I’ve been saying this from Day 1, that this was an extortion scheme and that Deandre was the victim," Baker's lawyer, Bradford Cohen, told the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "This event did not play out as they insinuated. And the case was dismissed."
On Monday morning, the attorney for three of the four men that were allegedly robbed, William Dean, was arrested in Florida in conjunction with an alleged extortion attempt, according to the New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy.
According to the Post, Dean and his clients demanded $1.5 million from the former Giants cornerback and negotiated the number down to $800,000 to change their statements. However, no money ever changed hands, according to the Post.
Baker, 23, was accused of stealing cash and watches from four men at a house party in Miramar Fla., in May, according to a prior statement from the Broward State Attorney's Office.
According to the initial reports, he was alleged to have robbed the men at gunpoint and could have faced a minimum of 10 years in prison if convicted.
On May 16, Baker surrendered to jail and was released on bond. He had not been with the Giants following news of his arrest, and the team officially released him on Sept. 7.
Baker was the 30th pick of the 2019 NFL draft by the Giants. He started 15 games in his rookie season with 61 tackles and eight passes defended.
The free agent is also on the commissioner's exempt list and could still be subject to discipline under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.