Antonio Brown Owned Team ‘Albany Empire’ Facing Harassment Allegations For Non Payment

After players weren’t paid last week, the Albany Empire, an arena football team in which Antonio Brown owns a 95% stake, appears to be in total disarray. After a misdemeanour incident involving delayed payments, the coach and many players left the team.

For a football team captained by Antonio Brown, things were going about as expected.

The former NFL player has been charged with several felonies, including but not limited to domestic violence, sexual assault, failure to pay child support, and attacking a moving truck driver (he resolved a rape case with his former trainer in 2021).

Antonio Brown’s Albany Empire Team Facing Harassment Allegations For Non Payment

Every Friday, players and coaches are expected to receive their pay, according to the Albany Times-Union. Despite not receiving payment on April 28, two days before the game, the team played a game against the Carolina Cobras this past Sunday despite being paid last on April 21.

Following a game this past weekend in North Carolina, a team bus incident led to the suspension of a number of players. Early on Monday, the Albany police responded to a claim of “aggravated harassment” resulting from the alleged bus incident.

After Albany police were called to the team hotel following the bus incident, players Sam Castronova at quarterback, Darius Prince at wide receiver, Brandon Sesay at defensive line, and Nick Haag and Melvin Hollins at defensive captain were all suspended.

According to Rubel, Empire’s acting president Alberony Denis stated that “the lack of payment was due to issues with the payroll processor” that had existed since Mike Kwarta, the previous owner, had been in charge. The players were informed they would be paid on Monday afternoon, according to Denis.

Both the delayed payment and the player’s resignation from the squad were verified by head coach Damon Ware.

“Nobody has been paid,’ Ware wrote in a comment on Facebook. “If you disagreed with that, you were a problem. I am certainly not desperate enough to coach for free. I love what Coach (Tom) Menas and I built over the last few years. Sending my love and prayers.”

Six other players quit the squad as a result of not receiving a room key at the team’s Albany Holiday Inn hotel, including starting quarterback Sam Castranova. After Denis confirmed an incident on the bus travelling back from the team’s game in North Carolina, they were removed from the team.

The Empire is 1-2 this season and is now looking to fill holes both on the field and on the sideline.

 

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