Athlete Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Blackmail RGIII

A former Baylor basketball player pled guilty Thursday to attempting to blackmail Redskins QB Robert Griffin III, according to a U.S. Attorney in Texas.

Richard Khamir Hurd, 25, of Waco, pleaded guilty to federal charges of interstate communication of a threat and receiving the proceeds of extortion.

Hurd walked on to the Baylor basketball team in 2004 and played for four years. RGIII was a track and football star at Baylor.

Hurd admitted that he contacted one of Griffin's agents in June, demanding $1 million or else he "would release information to the media which he claimed would severely damage Griffin’s reputation," the Western District of Texas' US Attorney's office said in a statement. The nature of that "information" was not disclosed.

The agent negotiated with Hurd at the direction of the FBI. Hurd eventually agreed to accept $120,000 in exchange for the information and signing a non-disclosure agreement. But after taking the money, Hurd was arrested by FBI agents.

Hurd, who is free on bond, faces up to two years and three years in federal prison, respectively, for the charges. Sentencing is scheduled for November.

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