New York Daily News

LIFE INSIDE THE BUBBLE

- PAT LEONARD

done as part of an alleged pay-off — have created sufficient uncertaint­y to deter prosecutio­n.

Baker, 22, however, has not been so fortunate.

Even witness Dominic Johnson, who told police he has known Baker and Dunbar since they were children, placed Baker with a gun at the scene, according to the original arrest warrant.

Baker is accused of pulling a gun at the house party where gambling was taking place and, with accomplice­s, robbing four men of cash and jewelry: $12,400 in cash and $61,100 in watches, to be exact, per the original arrest warrant.

Baker also allegedly told one of his accomplice­s to shoot one of the alleged victims, though his accomplice did not shoot.

Baker and Dunbar both turned themselves in to the Broward County jail on May 16 and were released on $200,000 and $100,000 bonds the next day, respective­ly, while the investigat­ion was ongoing.

At that point, the Giants asked Baker to stay away from their virtual offseason program during the spring to focus on his legal issues.

Both men initially were not permitted to leave the state of Florida but then were granted travel exemptions for work purposes.

On July 10, in response to the Daily News’ bombshell revelation­s in the case, multiple Giants sources told the Daily News that they did not expect Baker to remain on the team much longer.

Baker traveled north to New Jersey in July seemingly hopeful to rejoin the Giants for training camp anyway. But the NFL placed Baker on the Commission­er Exempt List on July 27.

And while a player on the exempt list still can report to his team’s facility and participat­e in some non-football activities if the team grants him permission to do so, sources told the Daily News the Giants

had not granted Baker that permission.

So Baker has not been with the Giants during training camp at all thus far.

On Friday, after the filling of formal charges, the Giants had no comment. An NFL spokesman said only: “We have been monitoring all developmen­ts in the matter which remains under review.”

Baker’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, said on Instagram in July that Baker had been the intended victim of an “extortion tactic” in the alleged arranged pay-off of the alleged victims.

Cohen said then that he had “reported the extortion

 ??  ??
 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States