DeAndre Baker was a free man Sunday after posting the $200,000 bond set for him for his alleged involvement in an armed robbery at a house party in the Miami area last week.
Baker spent Saturday night at the Broward County jail.
The Giants have told Baker to stay away from the virtual meetings going on this offseason to focus on his legal issues, according to a source familiar with the team’s thinking.
Broward County Judge Michael Davis hit Baker with a $25,000 bond for each of the eight counts against him. He is facing four counts of armed robbery with a firearm and four counts of aggravated assault.
Baker has a permit for a firearm, which he must surrender to authorities within 48 hours. And he is not allowed to have any contact with any of the victims and he is not permitted to leave the state of Florida at this time. Davis said that ruling can be modified at a later date if work requires Baker to leave the state. So, Baker might be able to attend the Giants’ offseason program or training camp if the team facility opens up this summer.
The Florida state prosecutor asked for no bail for Baker.
Baker, 22, turned himself in Saturday morning after a warrant for his arrest was issued Thursday following an incident late last Wednesday night in the Miami area.
“We sincerely thank all law enforcement for their diligent efforts to uncover the truth herein and sincerely apologize for the distractions that this event has caused to DeAndre’s team, teammates and the NFL community during this difficult time in everyone’s life,’’ said attorney Patrick G. Patel, who along with Bradford Cohen represents Baker.
Baker, Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar and two others are accused of stealing more than $12,000 in cash and expensive watches, including an $18,000 Rolex, $25,000 Hubolt, and a $17,500 Audemars Piguet — along with other valuables at a Miramar house party. Baker and Dunbar, 27, were allegedly armed with semi-automatic weapons, police said.
Dunbar was released on $100,000 bond — $25,000 apiece for each of his four armed robbery counts.
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Baker wore a mask during the hearing, which was conducted via Zoom, was live-streamed and included additional details from the night in question.
Two days before the alleged incident, Baker and Dunbar lost about $70,000 while gambling at a party in the Miami area, the arrest warrant says.
The alleged incident Wednesday night was triggered from a game of dice at a party of around 15-20 people. Cohen, said he has additional affidavits he has not yet presented for “a little strategic defense issue’’ and he will release those affidavits if needed for the case.
The arrest warrant stated Baker instructed a third man, wearing a red mask, to shoot someone walking into the room. That man has not been identified, according to prosecutors.
Cohen pointed out to the judge affidavits from witnesses that do not corroborate the details in the arrest warrant. Cohen also said Baker has no criminal history and this is his “first time in handcuffs.’’
On Saturday, Cohen on his Instagram account stated he has “seven affidavits exonerating my client and video evidence.”
Under Florida law, Baker, if found guilty of wielding a semi-automatic weapon, could face a mandatory minimum of 15 years for each of the four armed robbery charges.
Cohen presented an affidavit from Dominick Johnson, a friend of Baker and Dunbar, stating an argument broke out between individuals playing dice. The statement read “I was never in fear for my life in any situation that happened that day and DeAndre Baker did not take any property from me and did not point a gun at anyone.’
Dunbar’s lawyer, Michael Grieco, presented five sworn affidavits from the same five parties (four victims and one witness) recanting their previous statements.
Baker’s four-year contract with New York is worth $10.52 million, with a signing bonus of $5.67 million. The Giants could void a portion of that if he’s found guilty, based on conduct clauses in his contract.
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