atlanta – one east alabama The defensive tackle pleaded guilty Monday to defrauding investors out of millions of dollars by donning makeup and wigs to imitate NFL players.
Luther Davis, 37, entered guilty pleas in federal court in Atlanta to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. CJ Ivins, 29, who was accused of carrying out the scheme with Davis, also pleaded guilty to two charges.
Both men left the court without commenting. U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg scheduled sentencing for Davis in October and Ivins in August. Each man faces up to seven years in prison, although prosecutors agreed to recommend a lesser sentence as part of the plea agreement.
In court on Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brock Brockington said the individuals used fake bank and email accounts to help convince lenders that they were either acting on behalf of particular athletes or were the athletes themselves. He said he later tried to impersonate high-profile players with big contracts.
The players’ union security discovered that athletes’ contracts were used as collateral, he said. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta filed a criminal complaint against Davis and Ivins last month.
Davis pretended to be three different NFL players in disguise on multiple video calls with investors in 2024. They wore makeup and a wig once, a wig a second time and a cloth head covering on the third call, according to prosecutors, who identified the players only by initials.
Players whose identities were allegedly used atlanta falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.., East cleveland browns tight end David Njoku And green Bay Packers Security Xavier McKinneyAccording to a report by The Guardian.
No NFL players authorized Davis and Ivins to receive loans. Prosecutors say that in addition to the disguise, Davis used fake driver’s licenses with photos of players that could be found online.
According to a criminal complaint filed last month, the scheme brought in nearly $20 million from at least 13 fraudulent loans, which Davis and Evins used to buy real estate, jewelry and cars.
Davis was a national champion in 2010 with the Crimson Tide.
Information from ESPN’s Michael Rothstein and The Associated Press was used in this report.
