Antonio Brown formally pleads not guilty to attempted-murder charge with Super Bowl winner facing up to 30 years in prison

Antonio Brown has officially pleaded not guilty to a second-degree charge of attempted murder after appearing in court virtually on Monday.

The troubled former NFL star is facing up to 30 years in prison after being accused of firing two shots at another man during a melee outside a Miami boxing event in May.

After his attorney entered the plea last week, and demanded a trial by jury, Brown and his attorney Mark Eiglarsh appeared separately via Zoom to submit the not-guilty plea at a formal arraignment early Monday morning. 

The judge ended the arraignment by setting the next status hearing date for December 22. 

At a hearing last Wednesday, Brown – who wore a red prison jumpsuit – was granted a $25,000 bond after the judge denied the state’s motion to keep him behind bars before his trial.

He was instead put under level three house arrest, which allows him to work and means he is not subject to a curfew. The 37-year-old must wear an electronic monitor that tracks his movements and faces additional charges if he cuts it off.

‘I understand the state’s concern he’s going to flee,’ Judge Mindy S Glazer said. Brown, who must seek permission from the court if he wants to travel, thanked the judge for her decision. He is due back in court later this month.  

He had been placed in an isolated cell – for his own protection – at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami. Last Monday, Eiglarsh entered the not-guilty plea on his behalf.

Brown, who won the Super Bowl during his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was taken into US Marshals custody after arriving from Dubai, where he had been since the shooting. Authorities in Florida issued an arrest warrant on a second-degree murder charge in June.

According to a statement from Eiglarsh last week, Brown was legally acting in self defense during the melee.

‘I took this case because I passionately believe in Brown’s defense,’ Eiglarsh wrote in a statement provided to Daily Mail. ‘The actions he was forced to take were solely in self-defense against the alleged victim’s violent behavior. 

‘Brown was attacked that night and acted within his legal right to protect himself from an individual who previously committed criminal acts against him. It’s a privilege to represent him, and I am determined to ensure that justice is served.’

In a video from the fight night, organized by online influencer Adin Ross at Miami’s Brand Risk Warehouse, Brown could be seen brawling with a group of men. He claimed they were attempting to ‘steal my jewelry and cause physical harm to me’. Brown later appeared to pull out a gun before shots were fired.

He did not fight his extradition from New Jersey to Florida when given the opportunity last week. On Tuesday morning, a viral video recorded by Fox Sports Radio’s Andy Slater showed the handcuffed Super Bowl winner walking down a set of jetway stairs.

Brown first claimed his innocence after the shooting back in May, insisting he was defending himself. But Brown’s alleged target told the Daily Mail that the former NFL star was the instigator.

Zul-Qarnaįn Nantambu claimed Brown star shot at him, possibly in response to a legal battle between the two in federal bankruptcy court.

As seen in court files obtained by the Daily Mail, Nantambu claimed during a 2022 encounter with Brown in Dubai that the Super Bowl winner stole a valuable pendant he had designed and produced. 

Nantambu further said Brown lied to police in the United Arab Emirates, accusing him of theft and resulting in Nantambu’s brief imprisonment.

Nantambu sued Brown in Florida in 2022 and ultimately won a $968,960 verdict that was later vacated in 2024 before the case was dismissed. 

However, Nantambu has since pursued a partial reduced judgement of $123,600 in federal bankruptcy court as Brown continued to deny the allegations of theft, as seen those filings.