Hillsborough County (Florida) Judge Christopher C. Sabella found probable cause for Terrion Arnold to face felony charges of armed robbery and kidnapping but denied prosecutors' motion for the Detroit Lions cornerback to be held without bond Monday.
Arnold's bond was set for $1 million with the following conditions:
Arnold is not allowed contact with the six co-defendants or the witnesses in the case;
He must surrender his passport within 48 hours;
And he was ordered confined to his residence in Tallahassee, Florida, except for when he's playing, training and traveling with the Lions, court-related appearances or legal appointments.
The state asked the judge to require Arnold to wear a GPS tracking device, but his attorneys argued that he would not be able to play football with such a device.
Judge Sabella said that Arnold will have a "paparazzi monitor."
"If he is late for practice, ESPN will let us know," Sabella said Monday. "If he violates the conditions of his bond, he will be found."
Sabella said that although the charges are serious -- four counts each of kidnapping and assault that could bring a life sentence if Arnold is convicted -- prosecutors are "not there yet" in having a strong case for Arnold's guilt.
Arnold has been in custody since last Wednesday night when he turned himself in. Authorities accuse him of leading a plot to detain and pistol-whip three people he believed had stolen from him. It turned out, however, that the victims had nothing to do with the theft in February, investigators said.
Three men in their late teens were held at gunpoint, battered, pistol-whipped and robbed in a Tampa apartment on Feb. 4, police said, three days after personal property worth more than $250,000 was reported stolen from Arnold and others at an Airbnb rental in Largo, about 20 miles west of the city.
Arnold, 23, was the "primary conspirator" in the attack, according to authorities.
"Our office remains committed to seeking justice for the three victims in the case who were beaten, robbed, and held against their will," said Erin Maloney, a spokesperson for the state attorney's office.
Denise White, the CEO of EAG Sports Management, which represents Arnold, said the judge's ruling "confirms that there is very little evidence to even suggest any criminal involvement by Mr. Arnold."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.