Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold has been accused by prosecutors of orchestrating a kidnapping and robbery plot in Tampa, Florida. Arnold allegedly instructed two women to lure men he suspected of a prior robbery to an apartment with the promise of sexual relations. Three men in their late teens were subsequently held at gunpoint, beaten, and robbed in the apartment on February 4, according to court documents.
State prosecutors in Hillsborough County allege that Arnold, a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, ordered the plot in retaliation for the theft of approximately $245,000 in cash and property from an Airbnb he was sharing in Largo, Florida, days earlier. However, Tampa Police later determined that the three men targeted in the apartment were not involved in the initial robbery.
At least seven individuals face charges in connection with the incident. Two women, Jasmine Randazzo and Arianna Del Valle, have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with authorities. Randazzo has already been sentenced to four years in prison for kidnapping, conspiracy, and robbery with a gun. Del Valle has admitted her role in the scheme but has not yet been sentenced.
Arnold, who denies the allegations through his agency, appeared before a Florida judge and was denied bail. Prosecutors presented a motion detailing further allegations, stating that Arnold instructed Randazzo to lure the victims to her Tampa apartment, where Del Valle was waiting. Co-defendants Christion Williams and Lyndell Hudson were allegedly hidden inside the residence.
According to the motion, when two of the victims arrived and began searching for Randazzo, Williams and Hudson emerged from a closet with firearms. One victim was allegedly pistol-whipped with an AR-15-style rifle, while the other was assaulted with a semiautomatic firearm. The third victim arrived later and reportedly suffered a similar fate.
Prosecutors claim that the assaults were captured on a video livestream and shared by Del Valle with Arnold and co-defendants Freddie Hughes and Boakai Hilton as they traveled from Tallahassee to Tampa. Text messages allegedly show Arnold and Hilton giving instructions to Del Valle, Williams, and Hudson regarding the beatings. Hudson, Williams, and Hughes are also accused of stealing wallets, phones, jackets, cash, and jewelry from the victims.
After Arnold, Hilton, Hughes, and another co-defendant, Ridgeway, parked nearby, the armed assailants allegedly forced the victims into their vehicles and fled. The victims subsequently filed a report with Tampa police, leading to the investigation and arrests.
Arnold is not the only co-defendant with a football background. Hudson was an offensive lineman at Florida and Florida International, and Williams played defensive back for Hawaii. Hilton is also identified as a former Hawaii football player.
The Detroit Lions organization is aware of Arnold's arrest but has declined further comment, citing respect for the ongoing legal process. Earlier in the investigation, Lions coach Dan Campbell had indicated that the team had information suggesting Arnold was not involved.