Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold “categorically denies” involvement in the robbery and kidnapping case he was tied to this week, his legal team said in a statement Friday.
A Hillsborough County, Fla., court order alleges that Arnold is connected to a Feb. 4 armed robbery and kidnapping in Tampa that was reportedly retaliation for thefts at an Airbnb rented by the star NFL player.
The filing claims that Arnold, 22, was in the car when one of the arrested suspects, Boakai Hilton, planned the retaliation.
Arnold’s attorney, R. Timothy Jansen, claims his client had nothing to do with the incident.
“To be clear, Mr. Arnold had no involvement whatsoever in the activities that led to those arrests,” Jansen wrote in a statement, per TMZ. “He did not participate in, nor was he present for, any conduct related to the alleged offenses.
“There is no evidence in police reports, text messages, or witness statements that implicates Mr. Arnold in any way.”
Prosecutors accuse Arnold of suspecting his private driver of two burglaries of $100,000 in cash and an $80,000 necklace, among other items, at his rental home in Largo, Fla.
The order, issued by Judge J. Logan Murphy, alleges that “Arnold and his friends” decided to “take matters into their own hands … by kidnapping the victims for over an hour, interrogating them, beating them, and threatening them with a gun barrel in the mouth.”
Hilton, who pleaded not guilty to three first-degree felonies, was among five arrested.
Arnold has not been arrested and is not facing any charges in the alleged incident.
“Mr. Arnold categorically denies these unfounded claims and maintains his complete innocence,” Jansen continued. “We strongly urge members of the media to refrain from perpetuating inaccurate or speculative narratives.
“The facts are clear, and they do not support any claim of wrongdoing by Mr. Arnold.”
Arnold was the No. 24 overall pick in the 2024 draft by Detroit.