The football player accused of fondling a waitress at the W Hotel has been offered plea bargain, according to court documents -- but he's defending his innocence.
In an April 26 letter from the U.S. Attorney's office in D.C., prosecutors offered to dismiss the misdemeanor sexual abuse charge against Albert Haynesworth if he agreed to plead guilty to one count of simple assault.
It's important to note, the U.S. Attorney's office typically offers plea deals for misdemeanor cases so Haynesworth is not getting special treatment.
Speaking with NBC Washington on Wednesday, Haynesworth's lawyer, A. Scott Bolden, said that the government's offer was "not much of a deal." Bolden said that he and Haynesworth looked forward to a day in court.
"All of the very inflated and beefed-up facts that the W employees have put together, to make fit nicely with the government case, the government has to prove those allegations now," Bolden said.
However, the deal will stay on the table until May 17, according to documents.
The documents also include a review of the government's case, which includes some new details about the February evening in question.
According to the papers, Haynesworth was at the W Hotel's rooftop lounge for a birthday party. His accuser is a full-time college student who was working as a waitress in the VIP area.
At the end of the evening, while the waitress was clearing tables, Haynesworth was very insistent on paying his bill, she later said. Although her hands were full, according to the documents, the football player kept pushing his debit card toward her, tapping her on the arms and shoulders with it.
The waitress said that's when Haynesworth pushed the credit card down the front of her shirt, in between her bra and her skin. The victim said that Haynesworth then slid his hand down the front of her shirt, moving his fingers around her breast. The waitress said that she told him to stop, and then walked away, with the debit card still stuck in her shirt.
Another staff member at the hotel said she witnessed the incident. According to the witness, the waitress had initially nodded to Haynesworth, signaling to him that it was OK to place the debit card in her shirt. But the witness said, according to the document, that the voice of the waitress became more tense and stern as she asked the football player to take his hand away from her chest.
Haynesworth's initial bill for the evening was $825.53. When the waitress ran his card, it was declined. The waitress then handed the debit card and bill over to a coworker, and had no further contact with Haynesworth.
Haynesworth gave the other waitress another debit card, haggled over a $13 drink, and eventually paid $811.23 for his evening's entertainment.
After he paid, a manager from the hotel approached Haynesworth and confronted him about the incident. When asked if he remembered having contact with the waitress, the football player said to the manager, "I didn't touch her."
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According to the document, the player allegedly said that the waitress was "a little black girl," and that he "doesn't even like black girls."
Albert Haynesworth came to play football for the Washington Redskins for the 2009 NFL season. During his time in Washington, the player frequently feuded with the coaching staff. His discipline problems caused Coach Mike Shanahan to bench him for the second half of the 2010 season.
In 2006, the defensive standout had been suspended from the league for five games after stomping on the head of a Dallas player who had lost his helmet.
You can view the Haynesworth indictment documents by clicking on the links below:
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