A former national champion college football player has pleaded guilty to a multi-million dollar fraud scheme posing as NFL stars.
Luther Davis played at the University of Alabama in the late 2000s. He and an accomplice were charged by criminal information on March 19–20 after allegedly taking out nearly $20 million in loans while pretending to represent professional athletes, faking identity documents, and pretending to be the stars themselves to fund their extravagant lifestyles. The two plead guilty to those charges on Monday.
“Using fake documents, bogus corporations, wigs, and makeup, Davis and Evins convinced lenders they were NFL players, obtained millions of dollars in fraudulent loans, and used the proceeds of their crimes to purchase real estate and luxury items,” U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a Department of Justice (DOJ)
press release on Monday. “This scheme highlights that anyone can be a target of identity theft, and my office will vigorously investigate and prosecute swindlers who steal identities to defraud others.”
According to the DOJ, between at least May 26, 2023, and Oct. 25, 2024, Davis and his accomplice, CJ Evins, took out a dozen fraudulent loans, with one loan refinanced, in the names of several high-profile NFL pros. The two created fake companies with names close to the names or initials of players they purported to represent, where they then opened bank and email accounts in the companies' names, provided false personal financial statements, created fraudulent email accounts, and obtained fake driver’s licenses and identification cards in the athletes’ names.
DOJ Does Not Name Impersonated Athletes
The DOJ report did not name the athletes the two fraudsters purported to represent.The defendants used the loans to fund their lavish lifestyles, including expensive watches and jewelry, and to purchase and/or refinance real estate; they also used the funds to pay off previous debts. But as the loan amounts increased, creditors required the purported players to be present on camera at virtual closings. The defendants wore makeup and wigs to pose as the players during those meetings, and signed the applications in the athletes' names.
In total, the two amassed a total of $19,845,000 in fraudulent loans.
The pair were charged with wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. They both plead guilty to the charges on Monday. Evins will be sentenced on Aug. 4, and Davis will be sentenced on Oct. 8.
Evins's deleted
LinkedIn profile describes him as a real estate broker "specializing in land and investment acquisitions for builders and developers." He worked for several real estate firms; his most recent job title was as director of investor relations at a company called No Sweat Offer based in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Davis played college football as a
defe
nsive lineman for the University of Alabama from 2007 to 2010. He won a national championship with the Crimson Tide in 2009-2010, racking up 47 total tackles in his career. It is not the first time he has been involved in illicit activities. A 2013 report from Yahoo! Sports revealed that while he was in college, he helped funnel thousands of dollars in benefits to several players on behalf of sports agents and financial planners, in violation of NCAA rules.
