Cortney Baird Case: Felony Charges, Plea, and Sentence

Cortney Baird, a California woman who financially exploited former NFL quarterback Erik Kramer while he was cognitively impaired from a near-fatal 2015 suicide attempt, was charged in February 2020 with 12 felonies by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. In August 2024 she pleaded guilty to theft, identity theft, forgery, and dependent adult abuse, and was sentenced to six months in jail followed by probation and ordered to pay $170,000 in restitution.¹

Who Baird Targeted

Erik Kramer played quarterback in the NFL for more than a decade, most notably for the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. On August 18, 2015, he attempted suicide by shooting himself at a motel in Calabasas, California. He survived but suffered a severe bi-frontal lobe injury, spent six weeks in a medically induced coma, and went through roughly nine months of neurological rehabilitation.²

A neuropsychologist deemed Kramer incapacitated, and a detective who later investigated the case concluded that Kramer “lacks the capacity to make financial decisions” and “meets the requirements of a dependent adult.”³ Kramer’s sister Kelley was given conservatorship over his decision-making during this period.⁴

Kramer and Baird had dated on and off from roughly 2011 to 2014, splitting before the suicide attempt. About six months after it, in early 2016, Baird reappeared. Kramer’s brain injury left him unable to recall their prior breakup, and he welcomed her back. She moved into his California home with her daughter, presenting herself as a caretaker.²

What She Did With His Money

Once inside Kramer’s home, Baird took control of his finances. She made daily ATM withdrawals, gave herself cash advances on his credit cards, forged checks, and ran up personal charges on his accounts for items ranging from Amazon purchases to her daughter’s soccer fees. She also drained a $9,984 memorial fund established in honor of Kramer’s late son Griffen.⁵

According to The Guardian, Baird was extracting up to $15,000 per month and as much as $700 per day from Kramer’s accounts, drawing from a trust fund valued at roughly $4 million. Kramer has estimated that his total losses from the ordeal, including direct theft, legal fees for the annulment and conservatorship battles, and other costs, reached approximately $700,000.¹

How the Marriage Stalled the Investigation

On December 22, 2016, Baird and Kramer married in a courthouse ceremony in Santa Barbara County. No family or friends were present. Kramer later said he had no memory of agreeing to the marriage and compared his condition at the time to “basically like marrying a 4-year-old.”²

By the time of the wedding, an active Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department investigation was already underway. Detective David Lingscheit had interviewed Kramer just two days after Anna Dergan reported the suspected theft in October 2016 and, in late November 2016, confronted Baird at Kramer’s office. She reportedly admitted to stealing $50,000 and forging checks but was not arrested. After the marriage, Deputy District Attorney Belle Chen told the detective that it “muddied the waters,” and the investigation stalled for years.⁵ Kramer and his advocates later characterized the wedding as a deliberate “checkmate move” to shield Baird from prosecution.¹

The marriage did not hold. On January 28, 2019, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge nullified it on the grounds that Kramer had lacked the mental capacity to consent. The annulment proceedings cost Kramer approximately $125,000 in legal fees.²

The 12 Felony Charges

In February 2020, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Baird with 12 felonies, including counts of elder abuse, identity theft, and forgery. Each count carried a potential sentence of three years in prison.² Baird pleaded not guilty.⁶

The Plea and the Sentence

Baird refused a plea deal for years. In August 2024, she pleaded guilty to theft, identity theft, forgery, and dependent adult abuse.¹ At sentencing, Baird, then 52, received six months in jail followed by a period of probation and was ordered to pay $170,000 in restitution to Kramer. According to A&E, she served less than half of the 180-day sentence because of inmate overcrowding in Los Angeles County jails.⁷

How the Case Was Built

The evidence against Baird came largely from Anna Dergan, Kramer’s longtime friend and the godmother to his daughter. Dergan became suspicious after noticing Amazon packages piling up at Kramer’s home, knowing him to be frugal. She reviewed his bank records and documented roughly $46,000 in unauthorized spending and transfers, then reported the suspected theft to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on October 19, 2016.⁴ She kept documenting after that, eventually building a spreadsheet tracking over 4,000 transactions.⁸

Kramer received an official letter restoring his legal capacity in June 2020 and has since spoken publicly about mental health, depression, and the signs of financial abuse.¹

1
The Guardian. Erik Kramer NFL Podcast Abuse
2
Yahoo Sports. Depression Nearly Destroyed Ex-NFL QB Erik Kramer
3
New York Post. Ex-QB Erik Kramer Details Sham Marriage He Was Led Into
4
Chicago Sun-Times. Bears Quarterback Erik Kramer Back From the Brink
5
Go Long TD. The Fight for Erik Kramer’s Life
6
NBC Sports. Erik Kramer’s Ex-Wife Charged With 12 Felonies for Abusing, Stealing From Him
7
A&E. Former NFL Quarterback Erik Kramer Wife Stole Mentally Incapacitated
8
Go Long TD. The Fight for Erik Kramer’s Life