Gareon Conley told Cleveland police Monday he had a consensual sexual encounter with the woman who accused him of raping her, but denied assaulting her, the attorney for the Oakland Raiders cornerback told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Conley's attorney, Kevin Spellacy, told Rapoport his client gave a statement to police and provided a DNA sample. Spellacy also said the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office will review the case and it could be 6-8 weeks before a decision is made on whether or not it will pursue charges.
The former Ohio State cornerback vehemently denied the accusation, which stems from an incident at a downtown Cleveland hotel on April 9. He has not been charged or arrested and no warrant has been issued.
Spellacy disputed some of the details included in the police report. He told Rapoport that Conley met the victim at a bar and said there is security footage showing Conley and the victim holding hands as they walked on the street near the hotel. In their report, police said the victim told them she met Conley in the hotel elevator before going with him to his room.
"I understand the issues involved," McKenzie told The MMQB. "But we did our research, and we read all the reports, and we did more than our due diligence. After all the information we got, we were comfortable with making this choice and confident in who this player is."
Conley took a polygraph test at the request of the Baltimore Ravens prior to the draft, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
"Clearly, this is a bet from the Oakland Raiders that Conley will eventually be cleared, something he has been adamant about, something people close to him have been adamant about," Rapoport said on Up to the Minute Live on Monday.
"They were confident in their research and confident in me and the person that I am to pick me," Conley said Thursday about coach Jack Del Rio and McKenzie after being drafted.
