Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold named in Florida court order connected to robbery, kidnapping case

Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold was named in a Florida court order that is connected to a robbery and kidnapping case.

No charges have been filed against Arnold, who was a 2024 first-round NFL draft pick. CBS News Detroit attempted to reach the Lions for comment and is waiting to hear back. 

The Feb. 24 court order from Hillsborough County Circuit Court Judge J. Logan Murphy granted a pretrial detention against Boakai Eugene Hilton, 23, on three kidnapping charges and three robbery charges.

Court records show that Hilton, who appeared for a hearing this week, allegedly orchestrated the kidnapping and robbery of three people as retaliation for their alleged involvement in theft at an Airbnb in Largo that was rented by Arnold. 

Hilton pleaded not guilty to the charges. CBS News Detroit contacted Hilton's attorney for comment and is waiting to hear back.

Murphy wrote that Arnold's Airbnb was robbed twice, with designer bags, $100,000 in cash, an $80,000 necklace and a cellphone issued to Arnold by the NFL among the items stolen. Murphy wrote that Arnold started to suspect that his private driver was involved in the theft, and he and his friends "decided to take matters into their own hands," even though they reported it to authorities.

Murphy wrote that text messages showed Hilton "appears to be the quarterback calling the play" and orchestrated an "ambush" against Arnold's private driver and the driver's two associates.

Murphy wrote that the three people were lured to an apartment and were allegedly beaten and pistol-whipped in an attempt to get them to admit that they were involved in the robberies at Arnold's Airbnb. However, Murphy wrote that there is no evidence showing the three people were involved in the theft.

"The nature of the offense is incredibly concerning. Rather than allowing law enforcement to investigate and retrieve the stolen property, the co-defendants sought vigilante justice by kidnapping the victims for over an hour, interrogating them, beating them, and threatening them with a gun barrel in the mouth," Murphy wrote.

"Given the consistent accounts from the three victims and the two text message chains introduced into evidence, the weight of the evidence against Hilton is overwhelming," the judge added. "Because the evidence shows that he knows the victims and that others who have not been arrested were likely involved in the plot, the risk of harm and intimidation to the victims and any witnesses is high, and I find there is a significant probability that they would encounter harm if Hilton is granted pretrial release."