Prosecutor: Antonio Brown could face 30 years if guilty of attempted murder with gun

Former NFL star wide receiver Antonio Brown could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of attempted murder because a firearm was allegedly used, a prosecutor said Monday.

Brown appeared via video at a brief arraignment hearing in Miami-Dade Circuit Court in which his lawyer, Mark Eiglarsh, repeated that Brown already entered a not guilty plea. He was released from jail last week on a $25,000 bond and required to wear a GPS ankle monitor.

An attempted murder charge in Florida carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence in many cases. But Assistant State Attorney Stephanie Cruz said because Brown allegedly used a gun, he could face double that time behind bars because of a firearm sentencing enhancement. The law also carries a potential 20-year minimum mandatory sentence upon conviction.

Brown, 37, did not speak during the hearing, Judge Marisa Tinkler-Mendez set at status hearing tentatively for Dec. 22. No trial date has been scheduled.

Brown is accused of grabbing a handgun from a security staffer after a celebrity boxing match in Miami on May 16 and firing two shots at a man he had gotten into a fistfight with earlier, according to an arrest warrant. Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu told investigators that one of the bullets grazed his neck.

Eiglarsh said at a previous hearing that the affidavit is mistaken and that Brown actually used his personal firearm, and the shots were not aimed at anyone. Brown has said on social media that he was defending himself from an attack and that others were trying to steal jewelry from him.

Brown spent 12 years in the NFL and was an All-Pro wide receiver who last played in 2021 for Tampa Bay, including a Super Bowl championship with quarterback Tom Brady. He spent much of his career with Pittsburgh. For his career, Brown had 928 receptions for more than 12,000 yards and accounted for 88 total touchdowns, counting punt returns and one pass.

Brown was extradited last week from Dubai, where he has business interests, after an arrest warrant on the attempted murder charge was issued in June.