Man charged in shakedown of New York Knicks' Cleanthony Early

Delvon Dowling told authorities he was part of a group that robbed and shot Cleanthony Early of the New York Knicks on December 30 outside of a strip club in Queens.

Early, 24, was wounded by a gunshot to the right leg near the knee and the group of masked men that ordered him out of a car also took necklaces and gold caps from his teeth and two cellphones.

Delvon Dowling, a 22-year-old from Brooklyn, confessed to police that he was among the men that robbed Early but denied being the gunman. He claimed to have never left one of the two getaway cars used in the offense. He was charged by federal prosecutors in the Early case.

Early was primarily a bench player for the Knicks but returned to the lineup last week and made his first start of the season Sunday.

Early's female companion was unharmed in the robbery but the Uber driver transporting them had property, including his driver's license, taken by the ski-masked assailants.