Ex-Giants' DeAndre Baker Cleared In Miramar Robbery Case, Victims' Lawyer Accused Of Extortion
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - Prosecutors have dropped all charges against New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker, who was accused in a Miramar robbery, on the same day a lawyer representing three of his alleged victims was charged with extortion.
Baker and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar were attending the cookout on May 13 when a fight broke out, and Baker pulled out a handgun, according to an arrest warrant. Baker and other men began robbing people of thousands of dollars in cash, watches and other valuables, witnesses told investigators.
Baker was formally charged August 7th with four counts of robbery with a firearm. Dunbar wasn't prosecuted due to insufficient evidence.
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The Broward Sheriff's Office of Public Corruption began investigating attorney William Dean in August.
Dean, who represents three of Baker's alleged victims, reportedly tried to extort Baker by having him pay each of his clients more than $266,000.
In exchange, according to sheriff's investigators, Dean's clients would either stop cooperating with prosecutors or change their initial sworn statements to police, thereby weakening the case against Baker.
Evidence in the case reveals that Dean told Baker's attorney that his clients would do "anything you want, so long as the money is right," according to the sheriff's investigators.
Dean was arrested Monday morning in North Miami Beach.
Later in the morning, prosecutors announced that they were dropping thecharges against Baker because the three witnesses had changed their story.
According to court documents, all three men recanted their previous sworn statements and instead "asserted that they did not get an accurate look at the events as they occurred, that DeAndre Baker was present but not involved in any criminal act, and that they were not robbed or assaulted."
