‘People rush to judgement’: Deandre Baker’s attorney denies armed robbery accusation

Defensive back Deandre Baker (18) played for the Georgia Bulldogs from 2015 to 2018 before he was drafted by the N.Y. Giants in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Credit: Curtis Compton

Credit: Curtis Compton

Defensive back Deandre Baker (18) played for the Georgia Bulldogs from 2015 to 2018 before he was drafted by the N.Y. Giants in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

About 24 hours after Florida authorities announced eight felony arrest warrants against New York Giants cornerback and former University of Georgia football star Deandre Baker, his attorney denied the accusations.

Miramar police obtained four armed robbery and four aggravated assault warrants against Baker, 22, in connection with a robbery at a party late Wednesday night. Four people were robbed of about $70,000, and they accused Baker, fellow NFL player Quinton Dunbar and a third unidentified man of committing the crime.

RELATED: NFL cornerback, ex-UGA star Deandre Baker accused of armed robbery at party in Florida

Attorney Bradford Cohen issued a statement on his Instagram Friday night, saying that Baker maintains his innocence.

“I want to thank (Miramar police) for being professional in regards to surrendering and issues with the case,” the statement said. “We understand that the officers can only base warrants on what was told to them at the time. We have had affidavits from several witnesses that also dispute the allegations and exculpate our client.”

The statement continued to say, “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.”

As of Friday night, neither Baker nor Dunbar had turned themselves in to authorities. According to the warrants, they will be denied bond when taken into custody.

While at a party, an argument broke out at a table where several people were playing cards, leading to Baker and unidentified man wearing a red mask standing up and pulling out handguns, the warrants said.

The two, along with Dunbar, then allegedly robbed four men of their luxury watches and cash before driving away in separate cars. Dunbar, who plays cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks and was a wide received at the University of Florida, was not armed, according to the victims and witnesses.

Dunbar’s attorney, Michael Grieco, also denied the accusations Friday to several media outlets. He said five witnesses attested that his client was not involved in the robbery.

MORE: Attorney says he has affidavits clearing Seahawks' Dunbar

Florida Gators wide receiver Quinton Dunbar (1) is over thrown in the end zone at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on September 7, 2013. (Allen Eyestone/The Palm Beach Post)

Credit: Allen Eyestone

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Credit: Allen Eyestone

At one point during the incident, Baker allegedly told the man in the red mask to shoot someone who just walked into the party. No gunshots were fired, and no one was injured.

In total, the trio are accused of stealing $12,400 in cash and Rolex, Hublot, Audemars Piguet and knockoff Richard Mille watches, worth a total of $61,100, the warrants said.

Baker, who is originally from Miami, played at UGA from 2015 to 2018. The Thorpe Award winner made headlines his senior year when he decided to skip the Sugar Bowl.

RELATED: Georgia's Deandre Baker won't play in Sugar Bowl

He was the 30th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. His NFL contact is estimated to be worth $10.4 million over four years with a signing bonus of $5.6 million, according to multiple reports.

The Giants, Seahawks and NFL issued statements that they were aware of the situation after the warrants were announced Thursday. None offered further comment on the issue.

Their arrest warrants can be found here.

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