Cleveland isn’t the best place to be at the moment if you’re an NFL player. In a series of freak incidents, criminals have snatched away the mental peace and security of the franchise’s players as multiple robberies rocked the area this week. After the first burglary incident on Sunday, it was Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II, who was at the receiving end of some terrible fortune yesterday.
The third-year defensive back lost his vehicle to armed robbers on Monday. Newsome is the third Browns player to get robbed or attacked in the past week. And surely, the NFL bling and shine has made the Browns members the potential target of a criminal enterprise. Here is how the series of robberies went down.
Are the Cleveland Browns the target of a massive criminal conspiracy?
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As per Browns Digest, 23-year-old CB Greg Newsome II lost his vehicle after criminals robbed him at gunpoint. The incident took place at Filter Experience near West Superior Avenue, Cleveland. Newsome did not injure himself in the criminal altercation, and the police are currently investigating the happenings of the incident. The authorities have not commented on the incident yet.
Update: #Browns CB Greg Newsome II was robbed at gunpoint for his vehicle, per @BrandonLittleBL
3 Browns players have been victim of a crime recently according to the report. Demetric Felton had his car stolen on Sunday and an unnamed player was robbed of his car and jewelry, a… pic.twitter.com/GAZqvjsUFO
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) June 6, 2023
“It’s a cruel world we live in,” Greg Newsome II tweeted after the shocking incident. The cornerback will play a vital role in the Browns’ defense this year, poised to be the franchise’s nickel back.
Newsome’s robbery took place only a day after fellow Browns wide receiver/running back Demetric Felton met a similar fate. According to News 5 Cleveland, Felton’s vehicle disappeared from a parking garage. The 24-year-old UCLA product suggested that the suspect followed him into the said parking facility and finished the job once Felton parked his car and left.
The special teams player even put out an alert to get more details regarding the whereabouts of his vehicle. “STOLEN IN CLEVELAND THIS MORNING! If spotted contact Demetric Felton or Cleveland PD, ASAP,” an IG account named ‘east coast durangos’ posted on social media.
What’s even more shocking and probably pointing to a criminal enterprise targeting the Browns players is that it didn’t stop there. Newsome and Felton’s robberies weren’t the last ones in this series of disturbing incidents. There was a third robbery last night.
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The robberies show no sign of stopping
After the CB and WR, the criminals went after another unnamed Browns player on Tuesday. This third victim also ended up losing his vehicle along with some jewelry, as per the reports from Browns Digest.
Cleveland is no stranger to incidents like this. Back in 2018, Super Bowl XXXVII champion and Browns wide receiver Joe Jurevicius met a far more distressing situation. As per Fox 8, a home invader robbed the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star and Cleveland native in his house in Gates Mills, Ohio. Authorities ultimately apprehended the suspect, Robert Howse, who received a 43-year prison sentence for aggravated burglary.
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Surely, the current batch of Browns players will hope for a quick resolution to this chaotic scenario and look to go back to a more secure and peaceful time. It’s not like the Browns don’t have their share of controversies with their QB1 Deshaun Watson. With the regular season kicking off in three months, the sooner this robbery episode is in the rearview, the better.
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