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Report: Chris Johnson accused in murder-for-hire case

Wesley Hitt / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Retired NFL running back Chris Johnson has been accused of funding murder-for-hire shootings that resulted in the deaths of two men in 2016, according to court documents obtained by TMZ Sports.

Johnson has reportedly not been formally charged.

Officials believe Johnson paid an unspecified sum of money to a gang member for killing two men suspected of murdering the running back's friend in 2015.

Johnson and his friend, Dreekius Johnson, were victims of a shooting in Orlando in 2015.

Johnson suffered a bullet wound to his shoulder and made a full recovery. However, his friend was killed. Officials said, "intelligence gathered suggested (the shooting) was a gang-related murder attempt on Chris Johnson."

Officials allege that the gang member, Dominic Bolden, shot and killed the two men believed to be responsible for the 2015 shooting in separate attacks in 2016.

As a reward, officials claim, Johnson helped Bolden become the leader of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) by providing funds and a supplier for narcotics. Johnson is also accused of helping to run the DTO's day-to-day operations.

Johnson strongly denied all allegations to TMZ Sports through a representative, who said: "There's no validity to any of these accusations."

Johnson retired in 2018 after 10 seasons in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals. In 2009 with the Titans, he became one of only seven players to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season.

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