ATLANTA — Two Georgia men pleaded guilty Monday to tricking lenders into providing nearly $20 million in loans by pretending to represent professional athletes or impersonate them.
Luther Davis, from Roswell, and CJ Evins, of Johns Creek, posed as managers of the athletes and wore disguises to impersonate them.
“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,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “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.”
Both men faced charges of federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The scheme was uncovered when a union that represents professional athletes learned the player contracts the defendants used as collateral were fraudulent.
The defendants obtained a dozen fraudulent loans (with one loan refinanced) worth a total of $19,845,000, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Davis, a former defensive tackle at the University of Alabama, put on makeup and a wig and got on a video call from a swanky suburban Atlanta hotel to finalize a $4 million loan.
The detailed allegations are included in a criminal complaint filed against Davis last month by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta.
The initial complaint says none of the NFL players had authorized Davis and Evins to obtain loans. In addition to wearing disguises, prosecutors say Davis used fake driver’s licenses with photos of the players that could be found online.
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