Antonio Brown Accepts Guilty Plea in 2025 Miami Shooting Case
The former NFL wide receiver was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to aggravated assault with a firearm.
By Matthew Collins ·
Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown pleaded guilty on Friday to aggravated assault with a firearm, a reduced charge in connection with a 2025 shooting outside a celebrity boxing match in Miami.
Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez handed Brown a sentence of three years of probation during the brief proceedings in Miami state court. As a condition of the probation, Brown must attend weekly counseling sessions and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Brown, 38, entered the plea after originally facing an attempted murder charge. Prosecutors alleged that he grabbed a handgun from a security staffer at the event and fired two shots at a man with whom he had previously engaged in a fistfight. Brown maintained that he was defending himself against an attack while others attempted to steal jewelry from him.
Prosecutor Howard Rosen stated that the state sought the reduced charge because there was a question regarding whether Brown was actually attempting to shoot the victim, who was walking away from the altercation at the time. The victim, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, sustained a graze to the neck. Nantambu was present in court for the hearing and has publicly stated that he would not cooperate with police and did not wish to press charges.
"My client was facing 30 years in prison with a 20-year minimum mandatory, and he was given an offer he just couldn't refuse," defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh said outside the courtroom. "Probation was too good to turn down, and we're both very excited about the outcome." Eiglarsh added that the legal team was extremely grateful that the case was concluded.
The reduced plea allows Brown to avoid prison time and a criminal conviction. Florida's Stand Your Ground law permits individuals who believe they face death or serious injury to use deadly force in self-defense without a duty to retreat. Brown argued this principle during the earlier phases of the case.
Richard Cooper, the attorney for the victim, said in a statement that the court ratified a carefully crafted agreement. "We have maintained that we wish Mr. Brown healing and a path closer to God," Cooper said. Nantambu has previously said he has forgiven Brown.
Brown was extradited from Dubai in November 2025, where he holds business interests, following an arrest warrant issued in June 2025. He spent 12 years in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. The team released him the following season after he removed his uniform and equipment and left the field during a game. Brown has also faced legal issues including battery, domestic violence charges, and child support disputes.
