by Adam Shear and Bruce Gietzen
WACO - Former Baylor basketball walk-on Richard Hurd, was arrested Friday by the FBI for trying to extort money from 2011 Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.
Griffin, who is in Ohio for the NFL's annual rookie symposium, reacted to the extortion this morning. Griffin told the associated press his situation shows the NFL rookies the stories they are hearing from former players at the orientation program are very possible.
"There's vultures out there, people looking to climb on top of all your money,'' Griffin told the AP.
Griffin, however, would not comment directly on Hurd's arrest.
Hurd, who played for the Bears from 2004-08, was booked into jail on federal charges Friday, and then released Monday afternoon after bond was set at $25,000.
Hurd's arrest affidavit states that on June 18 a person referred to as "B.D.", who is also listed as a representative of an agency out of St. Louis, Missouri. contacted the FBI after speaking to Hurd.
B.D. told the FBI agent Hurd claimed he planned to release information to the public that could damage the reputation of a client of B.D. unless Hurd was given a substantial sum of money.
According to the affidavit, Hurd contacted B.D. about the matter by e-mail and on the phone. B.D. contacted the FBI about the conversation and a sting operation was set up.
The agent negotiated a price in exchange for the alleged derogatory information, and last Friday a representative of the agency met with Hurd at an undisclosed Waco location, with an undercover FBI agent nearby to witness the transaction.
The affidavit says Hurd signed a non-disclosure agreement, turned over his derogatory information and was given a check representing the lump-sum payment. The FBI then arrested him for extortion.
The Associated Press is reporting a source confirmed to them Robert Griffin III was the target of that plot. Griffin hired Ben Dogra of St. Louis, as his agent before the NFL draft, when the Washington Redskins made him the second pick overall.
The FBI would not comment to News Channel 25 about the case, nor would Ben Dogra or Baylor University.
Hurd does not have a prior criminal record. He was arrested for sexual assault in 2008 but those charges were later dropped when the District Attorney's office at the time determined the case was not strong enough to go to trial.
Hurd is originally from Houston, TX and played forward at Baylor while majoring in speech communications.
His best season was as a freshman when he averaged 17 MPG, 4 PPG, and 2 RPG.
