NFL Rumors: DeAndre Baker & Quinton Dunbar May Have Engaged In Cover-Up After Robbery Allegation, Report Say
New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar may have engaged in a cover-up following allegations of an armed robbery on May 13, a new report claims.
The New York Daily News published details from a search warrant from the Broward County (Florida) Clerk of Courts that shows extensive communication hinting at a payoff for the alleged victims of the robbery. The information in the court documents appeared to show the two NFL players as active participants in a plot to keep the alleged victims quiet and help the case against them to go away.
Dunbar and Baker had initially been arrested after police in Florida said Baker pulled out a gun and robbed people who had been gambling during a cookout near Miami. Dunbar was accused of working alongside Baker in the robbery.
Both denied the charges at the time, and the case initially appeared to unravel after witnesses at the robbery appeared to not support the initial claims from police that the two had pulled off an armed robbery, as seen in the video above.
The warrant obtained by the New York Daily News appeared to show evidence that a witness oversaw a payoff of four of the alleged victims.
“All four victims have given sworn statements that they were paid at the office that day to recant their sworn initial statements against Dunbar by signing affidavits. Combined, the four men say they were paid a total of $55,000,” the report noted. “Detective Mark Moretti of the Miramar Police Department, who submitted the warrant reviewed by Judge Marina Garcia Wood, also reveals alarming direct messages between Baker and Johnson on Instagram that implicate Baker in the payoff.”
The warrant appeared to reveal extensive information about how the alleged payoffs were arranged and pulled off, also noting that the alleged victims were in fear. A witness noted that one of the four had to move out of his apartment for fear of reprisal, and that one of the alleged victims had received threatening text messages that included a picture of his passport, which was allegedly stolen during the armed robbery.
The report hinted that the allegations could lead to new charges against Baker and Dunbar. The two could also face significant discipline from the NFL, which has given commissioner Roger Goodell wide latitude to discipline players for legal troubles, even if they are not convicted of a crime.
After spending a night in jail after being booked on the charges, both Baker and Dunbar were released on bail. Both maintain their innocence.
