Antonio Brown Faces 30 Years in Prison: Charges, Motion, Bond

Antonio Brown is charged with second-degree attempted murder in Miami-Dade County over a May 2025 shooting outside a celebrity boxing event, and he faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted because of a firearm sentencing enhancement.¹ The former NFL wide receiver has pleaded not guilty and is asking a judge to throw the case out under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. That hearing is set for June 23, 2026.²

What Prosecutors Say Happened

The shooting took place in the early hours of May 17, 2025, in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood, outside a boxing event hosted by streamer Adin Ross.³ According to the arrest warrant, Brown got into a fistfight with Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, a jewelry designer, then grabbed a handgun from a security staffer and fired two shots. One round grazed Nantambu’s neck.⁴

Video from the scene showed Brown fighting with several people and then appearing to hold a black pistol while chasing someone, with gunshots audible off-camera.⁵ Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert, briefly detained Brown, and released him that night. The case turned five days later, on May 21, 2025, when Nantambu came forward and identified Brown as the shooter.⁶ A warrant for second-degree attempted murder was issued in June 2025.⁷

Nantambu told investigators that Brown punched him during a scuffle, and that when he tried to leave, Brown chased him with a gun and opened fire.²

Why the Sentence Could Reach 30 Years

Second-degree attempted murder in Florida carries a maximum of 15 years on its own. Assistant State Attorney Stephanie Cruz has said the state is applying a firearm sentencing enhancement that doubles the ceiling to 30 years.¹

Florida’s 10-20-Life statute also sets mandatory minimums when a firearm is used in certain felonies, including attempted murder: 10 years for possessing a firearm during the offense and 20 years for discharging one.⁸ Because prosecutors allege Brown fired the weapon, a conviction would put the 20-year minimum on the table.

The Stand Your Ground Motion

Brown’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, filed a motion to dismiss on December 4, 2025, arguing that Brown’s use of force was “fully justified” under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law.⁹ The defense’s account of the shooting differs sharply from the prosecution’s on nearly every point. Eiglarsh says Brown was carrying his own legally permitted concealed weapon, that he fired a warning shot away from Nantambu rather than aiming at him, and that Nantambu then wrestled the gun away and fled with it. Brown’s team has asked for DNA evidence to try to establish that the firearm was his.¹⁰

Under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, a defendant can seek dismissal before trial by showing that the use of force was justified. If the judge agrees after an evidentiary hearing, the case is thrown out. If she does not, the case moves toward trial. Brown’s hearing is scheduled for June 23, 2026 before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez.²

The Deposition Fight Over Nantambu

Whether the hearing goes forward on schedule may depend on getting Nantambu on the record. He failed to appear for a scheduled Zoom deposition on May 13, 2026, and his attorney, Richard Cooper, blamed a scheduling conflict.²

At a virtual hearing on May 15, 2026, Judge Tinkler Mendez told Nantambu directly that he was “mandated by subpoena to appear” and could face jail time if held in contempt.¹¹ She gave him another chance to sit for the deposition, and prosecutors said they would work with Cooper to reschedule. Eiglarsh said he wanted the deposition done before the June 23 hearing.

Arrest in Dubai, Bond in Miami

By the time the warrant was issued, Brown had left the country. U.S. Marshals arrested him in Dubai on November 6, 2025 and returned him to the United States.⁷ He waived extradition from New Jersey the next day.¹²

On November 12, 2025, Judge Mindy Glazer set bond at $25,000 and ordered Brown onto house arrest with a GPS ankle monitor, required him to surrender his passport, and directed him to live at his home in Broward County.¹³ He posted bond and was released the next day.¹⁴ Those conditions remain in place.

The Prior History Between Brown and Nantambu

The two men had a documented history of conflict before the shooting, and the defense is leaning on it. Court records cited by the Miami Herald show that Brown had previously accused Nantambu of stealing $3 million worth of his jewelry. That accusation led to Nantambu spending roughly 30 days in a jail in the Middle East in 2022 before he was able to show that Brown had lied.² Brown’s defense filing also alleges that Nantambu attacked Brown backstage at a rap concert in 2023.⁹ The defense is using that history to argue Brown reasonably believed Nantambu meant him harm outside the boxing event.

What Happens Next

Brown remains on house arrest while the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, with Cruz leading the prosecution, prepares for the June 23, 2026 hearing.¹⁵ If Judge Tinkler Mendez grants the Stand Your Ground motion, the case ends there. If she denies it, Brown heads toward a trial where a conviction could carry up to 30 years. No trial date has been set.¹¹

1
NBC Miami. Antonio Brown Wants Miami Attempted Murder Charge Dropped Under Stand Your Ground
2
Miami Herald. Antonio Brown and Alleged Shooting Victim in Miami-Dade Court
3
CBS News. Former NFL Player Antonio Brown Considering Pressing Charges
4
CBS News. Antonio Brown Pleads Not Guilty to Attempted Murder in Miami Shooting
5
ESPN. Antonio Brown Detained, Gunshots at Boxing Event
6
NFL.com. Ex-NFL Player Antonio Brown Pleads Not Guilty to Attempted Murder Charge
7
Reuters. Antonio Brown Arrested on Attempted Murder Charge, Extradited to U.S.
8
Florida Legislature. Florida Statute § 775.087
9
The New York Times / The Athletic. Antonio Brown Case Dismissal, Attempted Murder Charge
10
Court TV. Antonio Brown Claims Self-Defense in Alleged Attempted Murder
11
NBC Miami. Antonio Brown and Alleged Shooting Victim Appear in Miami-Dade Court Hearing
12
CBS News. Ex-NFL Player Antonio Brown Waives Extradition on Attempted Murder Charge
13
CBS12. Ex-NFL Star Antonio Brown Gets $25K Bail and GPS Monitor
14
NBC Miami. Antonio Brown Released From Jail After Posting Bond
15
ABC7. Former NFL Wide Receiver Antonio Brown Could Face 30 Years