Man guilty of extortion

Published 2:45 am Tuesday, June 14, 2016

AKRON (AP) — An Ohio jury has found a 28-year-old man guilty of trying to extort money from former Ohio State star and NFL player Christopher “Beanie” Wells in a botched drug deal.

Cleveland.com reports jurors in Akron on Monday convicted Franklin Conley, who had denied prosecutors’ claims that he tried to extort $65,000 from the former Arizona Cardinals running back.

Wells testified during the trial, denying Conley’s allegations that he was tied up in drug dealing.

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Federal prosecutors say Conley threatened violence toward Wells and his family if he didn’t pay between $65,000 and $175,000. They say Conley and a co-defendant went after Wells after Wells’ brother set up a drug deal where they lost money.

Wells was released by the Cardinals in 2013, and now hosts a radio show in Columbus.