They didn’t have this event at the NFL Combine.
A former professional football player’s plan to rob $1.2 million in marijuana winnings three years ago went awry when he discovered the bags full of stolen cash were too heavy to carry. So he threw them into the Colorado woods and ran away.
But Devin Aguilar — a former college standout who briefly played for the Tennessee Titans more than a decade ago — made another big mistake during the previously unreported robbery in December 2021: He forgot his gloves in one of the money bags, which according to CBS News was later found by police.
Arapahoe County authorities extracted the 35-year-old’s DNA from the black and blue gloves and then linked it to Aguilar, who was already in the system from a previous burglary.
And so Aguilar, once a star wide receiver for the University of Washington Huskies, earned about a year in the Arapahoe County jail — and he was only released last month, CBS reported.
Police investigators say his failed cash grab — which was recorded on at least six surveillance cameras — seemed like something out of Hollywood.
“It was perfectly orchestrated. He knew exactly what he was doing,” said Arapahoe County Sheriff Investigations Sgt. Brett Cohn told the news station. “Every square inch of his body was covered and black.”
But that doesn’t mean it was the perfect crime, the officer added.
In fact, it was an inside job: Aguilar had been dating Fawn Huya, a 54-year-old cashier at the cash-in-transit service he wanted to overthrow.
Huya told investigators she had no idea her boyfriend planned to rob the place, but police later found plans and sketches on her phone that detailed Aguilar’s plans, and said Huya used her phone to investigate the business of to take up the company to help him.
On the day of the crime – December 1, 2021 – the washed-up athlete, dressed from head to toe in black, pulled out his gun and snuck up on the driver of a transport van, who drove into the company’s garage with $1,224,785 worth of marijuana . businesses across the state, CBS said.
The driver had no idea she was being followed when she pulled into the waiting area – until Aguilar jumped on her.
He took her out of the van and then held her at gunpoint while she filled the large garbage bags with cash.
The job was completed within minutes. The former professional slung the bags over his shoulder like Sinterklaas and walked out the overhead door of the garage.
“They planned this for six months — they even knew exactly when the most money would come in,” Cohn said.
But there was one problem, Cohn said. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound former wide receiver couldn’t carry all that money.
“It was too hard for him,” Cohn said. “They didn’t calculate the weight.”
The driver called 911, and Arapahoe County deputies eventually found the two bags of money under a tree about seven football fields from where Aguilar took them.
But even though the clumsy thug had fled, he left his gloves behind – which later helped police catch him.
“Extremely stupid,” Cohn said. “You can plan meticulously for six months, but mistakes have clearly been made.”
Aguilar’s partner-in-crime eventually turned on him during the investigation.
“You left your gloves behind, you stupid people,” Huya said in a recorded phone call she made during a police interrogation.
“But how would they know it’s me?” Aguilar asked, unaware that the police were sitting across from her.
Huya — who eventually admitted her role in the scheme — took a plea deal, admitted to armed robbery and was sentenced to six months in jail and probation, CBS reported.
Meanwhile, Aguilar also struck a deal that allowed him to plead guilty to misdemeanor theft and aggravated robbery charges.
Prosecutors asked Judge Joseph Whitfield to jail him for 15 to 20 years, but the judge jailed him for only one year.
Ultimately, the gun-wielding thief spent less than seven months behind bars.
Both the police and the business he robbed were disgusted.
“It’s not what we think the suspect deserved, and we don’t believe the victims got the justice they deserved,” Cohn said.
A transport industry representative echoed his comments, saying they were “disappointed but not surprised” that the “soft crime” judge handed down such a weak sentence.
“We still trust our justice system and hope that justice is fair and appropriate for all parties involved… But I think that hope is fading.”
The driver added that she has suffered from panic attacks and paranoia since the horrifying incident, and is now in therapy for anxiety.
Meanwhile, Aguilar — who played in at least one preseason NFL game before leaving the league — claimed he wants a second chance.
“I take full responsibility,” he told the judge.
“I was ashamed, but I am no longer ashamed because responsibility has been taken,” he continued. “I’m ready for a new opportunity.”
