Ex-NFL star Chris Johnson is accused, but not charged, in murder-for-hire plot to kill two men he blamed for shooting him and killing his friend in 2015 drive by shooting
Ex-NFL star Chris Johnson accused of involvement in ‘murder-for-hire plot’
Former Tennessee Titans star Chris Johnson, 34, allegedly paid a gang member to kill two men he blamed for shooting him and killing his friend in Orlando, Fla., 2015
The running back was shot in the shoulder, his friend, Dreekius Johnson, 28, driving the NFL star’s jeep was shot in the head and died
Another man, Reggie Johnson, shot in the arm and leg also survived
The three victims, Chris Johnson, Dreekius Johnson, Reggie, and Chris Johnson, reportedly are not related, but were childhood friends
Although Chris Johnson, 34, has not been formally charged, TMZ reported Thursday that prosecutors believe he paid Dominic Bolden for the murders
Bolden, who was shot to death in January, allegedly killed his targets in separate incidents in 2016 after which Chris Johnson funded and aided his rise in a drug gang
Law enforcement officials who complained the injured athlete was ‘uncooperative’ at the time, now believe the shooting was a “gang related murder attempt” on his person
A Chris Johnson spokesman said there is ‘no validity to any of these accusations
Former NFL star Chris Johnson is reportedly being accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot to kill the two men who he believes shot him and his friend in 2015.
The former Titans and Jets running back is reportedly being accused of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot to kill the two men who he believes shot him and his friend in 2015.
Dreekius, Reggie, and Chris Johnson are not related, but as Dreekius’ mother told WFTV.com, they were childhood friends growing up in the Orlando area.
According to the TMZ report, although Chris Johnson, 34, has not been formally charged, prosecutors have alleged in court documents that he paid Dominic Bolden for the murder and helped Bolden to traffic drugs.
Bolden allegedly exacted the revenge hits on January 19, 2016 and on July 24, 2016. The identities of those victims have not been revealed.
Former footballer Chris Johnson [left], pictured with his childhood friend Dreekius Johnson [right]. Both were injured during a 2015 shooting. Dreekius however, later died from his injuries
Ex-con Dominic Bolden [left], whose priors included being accused of first-degree murder and attempted home-invasion robbery, allegedly was hired to avenge the 2015 shooting that left Jones injured and killed Dreekius Johnson [right]. Bolden himself was shot and killed in Florida last January
Police believe Chris Johnson provided ‘funds and an individual who could continually supply Dominic Bolden with as much narcotics as needed to supply the [drug trafficking organization].’
The man who died in the 2015 attack, Dreekius Johnson, also had a lengthy criminal record before he was shot in killed, having been arrested more than 10 times
He was released in 2009, after serving nearly four years in prison for cocaine possession and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Chris Johnson’s spokesperson has refuted the accusation: ‘There’s no validity to any of these accusations,’ he told reportedly TMZ
Johnson has been public about the incident in the past, telling CBS Sports Radio in 2015 that it was a ‘life-changing experience.’
‘It showed you how to enjoy life and how to enjoy every day waking up,’ he said. ‘Because just as easily as it was one of my best friends that was sitting right next to me—the one that got killed—it easily could have been me. So these days, I’m just enjoying life and making sure I enjoy each day.’
Chris Johnson, was shot in the shoulder. In a 2915 interview with CBS Sports Radio in 2015 he described it as a ‘life-changing experience.’ ‘It showed you how to enjoy life and how to enjoy every day waking up’
The Orlando, Florida intersection where Chris Johnson and friend Dreekius Johnson were shot in 2015
The shooting happened near the intersection of Southland Boulevard and South Orange Blossom Trail, in Orlando around 4 a.m. Sunday on March 9, 2015.
Dreekius Johnson, 28, was found fatally shot in a gold Jeep.
His childhood friends, 30-year-old Reggie Johnson and 29-year-old Chris Johnson, were found shot on the sidewalk nearby, according to investigators. the three men all named Johnson were not related but were childhood friends.
Johnson, 34, has not been charged with a crime but prosecutors believe he paid a “noted Florida gang member” named Dominic Bolden to kill the suspected gunmen in the 2015 drive-by shooting.
While Chris Johnson, a three-time Pro Bowler who last played in 2017 for Arizona, made a full recovery. The driver of his Jeep, Dreekius Oricko Johnson, died after being shot in the head.
The third victim Reggie Johnson, 29, survived after being shot in the shoulder, hand and leg. Police at the time said Johnson was “uncooperative” and investigators suspected the vehicle had been targeted.
Law enforcement officials now believe the shooting was a “gang related murder attempt” on Johnson.
After Bolden allegedly gunned down the suspected Orlando shooters in return Johnson helped Bolden lead a drug trafficking organization and provided him “funds and an individual” who could supply him with narcotics for the drug trafficking organization, an informant told authorities.
The alleged “murder for hire” scheme boosted Bolden’s rank and rep within the drug trafficking organization, ultimately making him its “de facto leader,” the informant said.
Police at the time said Chris Johnson [photo], was “uncooperative” with police, and could not provide a description of the vehicle that produced the gunfire in the drive-by shooting that left one person dead
Chris Johnson was accused of choking a valet in 2018, but was able to strike a deal with prosecutors last year to avoid any penalty, outside of a pre-trial diversion program, according to TMZ.
His alleged hitman, Dominic Fabrece Bolden, faced first-degree murder in the death of 42-year-old Derrick Leroy Hair two years earlier. Investigators said Bolden opened fire while attempting to rob Hair during a drug deal on February 13, 2014.
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