What to Know
- Cleanthony Early was shot in the right kneecap outside a gentleman's club in Queens in December 2015
- The robbers pursued the Uber Early and his girlfriend were riding in and blocked the Uber in with their vehicles
- Early was robbed of his iPhone, gold chains and the gold caps from his teeth
Three people arrested by federal ATF agents and NYPD cops Tuesday are accused of the 2015 shooting and robbery of former Knicks player Cleanthony Early, law enforcement sources familiar with the case tell NBC 4 New York.
Court papers filed in federal court in Manhattan do not identify the victim of the armed robbery but law enforcement sources tell NBC 4 New York the victim is Early.
Early, a Knicks' second round draft pick in 2014, and his girlfriend were robbed at gunpoint by masked men shortly after the couple left the Cityscapes Gentlemen’s Club in Maspeth, Queens, early on Dec. 30, 2015.
The robbers pursued the Uber Early and his girlfriend were riding in and blocked the Uber in with their vehicles. During the ensuing attack, Early was shot in his right kneecap and robbed of his IPhone, gold chains, and the gold caps from his teeth. The gold caps were later found on the street nearby.
The three men are charged with federal conspiracy and firearms violations, among other crimes, the indictment says.
Early, 26, currently plays for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA Development League. He was traded to the Warriors from the Knicks in 2016.
Local
The defendants are expected to appear in federal court in Brooklyn later Tuesday.
