Boakai Hilton, a friend and co-defendant of Seattle Seahawks cornerback Terrion Arnold, pleaded guilty Monday in a Florida kidnapping and armed robbery case and agreed to testify against Arnold as part of the deal.
Hilton, 24, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to three counts of kidnapping, three counts of robbery with a firearm, conspiracy to commit kidnapping and conspiracy to commit robbery with a firearm, according to the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office.
The agreement requires Hilton to testify truthfully in any future proceedings involving the case, including a potential trial for Arnold.
Arnold, 23, faces eight felony charges stemming from a February incident in Tampa. He could receive a life sentence if convicted.
Prosecutors allege that Arnold helped organize a plot targeting three men suspected of stealing more than $250,000 in cash and other valuables from an Airbnb he had rented in nearby Largo, Fla.
The men were allegedly lured to a Tampa apartment, where they were beaten, robbed at gunpoint and held against their will for more than an hour.
Investigators said they found no evidence connecting the alleged victims to the original theft.
Arnold’s attorneys have denied his involvement, asserting that there is no credible evidence linking him to the crimes. They also maintain that Arnold was not present at the apartment during the alleged attack.
Two other defendants, Arianna Del Valle and Jasmine Randazzo, previously pleaded guilty in the case and are also required to testify truthfully in further proceedings.
Arnold surrendered to authorities June 24 and was subsequently released on $1 million bond.
The Detroit Lions released the former first-round pick later that month, but he signed with Seattle in August.
The NFL placed Arnold on the commissioner’s exempt list shortly afterward, preventing him from practicing or playing while the league reviews his situation.
Arnold appeared remotely at a court hearing Monday. His next scheduled court date is Dec. 15.