Man gets house arrest for trying to extort ex-football star

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:02 p.m. ET

foxsports

AKRON, Ohio (AP) A quadriplegic man who admitted to trying to extort money from former Ohio State star and NFL player Christopher ''Beanie'' Wells has been sentenced to a year of house arrest after a judge concluded that imprisoning the defendant would be too costly for taxpayers.

Cleveland.com (http://bit.ly/2bDnIwH ) reports the judge on Wednesday told 29-year-old Patrick Griffin, of Akron, that he could still be sent to prison if he violates her terms. Griffin also was ordered to donate $10,000 to a charity.

Griffin says he understands that his condition doesn't make him immune from consequences.

Griffin had pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act extortion. Prosecutors say he and a co-defendant tried to force Wells to pay them tens of thousands of dollars after Wells' brother set up a drug deal where they lost money.

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Information from: cleveland.com, http://www.cleveland.com