Lawyers for both Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar and New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker are denying a report from the New York Daily News that claims they were involved in a cover-up in the aftermath of an alleged robbery involving the two players back in May. The report cites a search warrant, obtained by the Daily News, that claims Dominic Johnson, a witness in the alleged robbery, oversaw payouts totaling $55,000 to the four victims at the office of Dunbar's attorney, Michael Grieco, in the immediate aftermath of the crime.
This was an alleged attempt to get the individuals to sign sworn affidavits to recant their stories of the incident. However, Grieco is claiming that the two players are being extorted by the alleged victims.
"Law enforcement, both local and federal, was advised from day one and beyond that the alleged 'victims' in this case were actively extorting Baker and Dunbar," Grieco told The Seattle Times. "These men fabricated a robbery story after waiting an hour to call police and then immediately began contacting the players demanding money.
"My office obtained accurate and truthful affidavits consistent with the independent witness and my client's account. These 'victims' are seasoned career criminals who have been arrested and/or convicted of crimes ranging from conspiracy to commit murder, to human trafficking, to filing a false police report. Mr. Dunbar took and passed a polygraph confirming that he did not participate or witness any robbery."
Baker's attorney, Bradford Cohen, also denied the claims of a cover-up on social media, tweeting that "this is a smear tactic" and "shameful reporting." Cohen also says that Baker took a lie detector test and "was shown to be truthful."
Dunbar and Baker originally turned themselves in to police back on May 16 on charges of armed robbery stemming from the alleged robbery on Wednesday, May 13. According to the police report, Baker is alleged to have taken money and watches from attendees at a Miramar, Florida party while armed with a semi-automatic firearm. Dunbar allegedly assisted in taking the money and other belongings from the victims. Both pleaded not guilty (Baker to eight charges and Dunbar to four) and are out on bail ($200,000 for Baker and $100,000 for Dunbar).
According to the Daily News story, the Broward County (Fla.) Clerk of Courts warrant sought access to iCloud accounts associated with Baker and Dunbar. The warrant cites evidence that includes video footage and direct messages that allegedly shows Johnson overseeing the payoffs on May 15 at Grieco's office.
The Daily News' Pat Leonard also reported that the Baker, who was taken by New York in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, is not expected to remain on the Giants roster much longer. Meanwhile, The Seattle Times noted that there were no indications on Friday night that the Seahawks were considering cutting Dunbar, who was acquired by the club in a trade with Washington back in March.
