Former Arizona Cardinals running back Chris “Beanie” Wells was named as a victim in a federal extortion case after his life was threatened following a drug deal gone wrong according to a court document filed on Friday, reports Eric Heisig of Cleveland.com.
Court filings said two men, Franklin Conley and Patrick Griffin, tried to extort between $65,000 and $175,000 from the now retired former Ohio State Buckeyes star after they lost money to a Mexican drug dealer who they met through Wells’ brother in prison.
“The complaint says Wells’ brother gave Conley the name of a drug dealer when they were incarcerated together at Oriana House between March and August 2014. When Conley and Griffin met with the drug dealer, he took between $65,000 and $125,000 but gave them no drugs.”
The criminal complaint reportedly said the two men starting making threatening calls to Wells in February 2015, telling him they would “hurt or kill him” if he didn’t comply with the extortion. The two were charged with extortion and interstate communication violation in June. Griffin pled guilty in December while Conley has pleaded not guilty.
Wells played four seasons in the NFL with the Cardinals, scoring 24 rushing touchdowns in 51 games, last suiting up with the team in 2012. The 27-year-old tore his Achilles tendon in a 2013 workout with Baltimore Ravens and re-injured it in 2014, suing a Columbus area doctor for malpractice. Starting this month, Wells now co-hosts the Tim & Beanie show on 97.1 The Fan.
Wells told Cleveland.com he’s not involved with the case, but multiple sources told Heisig he’s the victim in the court filing.
