The former NFL star chose not to contest extradition from New Jersey to Miami on Friday after being arrested by federal marshals in Dubai on Thursday. His arrest comes nearly five months after he was charged with attempted murder stemming from an altercation outside a celebrity kickboxing event in Miami in the spring.
Brown is charged with attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, a first-degree felony, according to a warrant issued June 11 by Miami-Dade County’s 11th Judicial Circuit Court.
Brown was taken from Dubai to a prison in Newark, New Jersey, where he was held pending extradition to the Miami-Dade County Jail. He chose not to contest the extradition during a brief hearing Friday morning. If convicted of attempted second-degree murder, he could face up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
“Let this be a clear message: No matter who you are, no matter where you flee, we will pursue the facts, identify you, locate you and bring you to justice,” the Miami Police Chief said Thursday. “To anyone thinking of committing a crime in Miami, please know this: We will find you.”
Brown is accused of stealing a handgun from security staff and firing two shots at another man outside an event in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood on May 16. The alleged victim told police several days later that a bullet may have grazed his neck, according to an arrest warrant.
Brown appeared to mention the alleged incident in a May 17 post about X.
“I was jumped by multiple individuals who stole my jewelry and attempted to cause bodily harm.” “Contrary to some videos circulating, the police briefly detained me until my side of the story was accepted and then released me. I went home that night and was not arrested. I will discuss the pending charges against the person who jumped me with the Law Commission and my attorney.”
Days after the warrant was issued, Brown appeared to suggest he was no longer in the United States with a post that included the hashtag #lovefromthemiddleeast. Since then, Brown has remained active on social media, but said Thursday that he has “turned over the keys” to his account to his team while he goes through “this fight for innocence.”
Miami Police Department spokesman Mike Vega said some of those past posts helped investigators track down the seven-time Pro Bowl winner. He played nine of his 12 NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and after the 2020 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“He was making fun of us on social media,” Vega said. “We identified him as being in Dubai and informed security officials.”
Brown has a history of legal troubles, including a 2019 lawsuit related to an altercation with a moving company (he denied the charges and the case was settled out of court), an altercation with a moving company (which Brown did not contest in 2020), and a 2023 arrest for allegedly failing to pay child support.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
