Michael Rothstein
Multiple Authors
A former Alabama soccer participant faces costs of wire fraud and identification theft after he allegedly used wigs and pretend driver’s licenses to impersonate NFL gamers for the aim of securing almost $20 million in loans, in accordance with federal court docket information.
Prosecutors allege that Luther Davis pretended to be three completely different NFL gamers from May 2023 till October 2024 to safe loans from a number of lending companies.
The gamers whose identities have been allegedly used are Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., former Cleveland Browns tight finish David Njoku and Green Bay Packers security Xavier McKinney, in accordance with a report.
The court docket paperwork state that not one of the gamers had licensed the loans and that pretend e mail accounts have been created with out their information.
Plea hearings are scheduled for April 27 for Davis and CJ Evins, Davis’ accomplice within the alleged scheme. Evins is listed in a separate submitting alleging wire fraud and identification theft costs in the identical case, and his lawyer, Ben Alper, informed ESPN in an e mail Thursday his shopper is scheduled to plead responsible.
Davis’ lawyer didn’t instantly reply to an ESPN request for remark.
Davis and Evins used the identities of three NFL gamers — “D.N.,” “X.M.” and “M.P.” — to use for the loans. The Guardian, which first reported the story, recognized D.N., X.M. and M.P. as Njoku, McKinney and Penix, respectively.
To persuade lenders they have been the three gamers, the court docket paperwork allege that Davis and Evins created “fabricated personal financial statements, Secretary of State documents, and bank statements for companies purportedly operated by the players.” The doc, filed March 19 in Atlanta, alleges that Davis and Evins registered corporations much like the names of the gamers to perform this.
Davis would present up “dressed in disguise and impersonated the players” on the mortgage closings, together with utilizing pretend driver’s licenses to idiot the lenders and the notary public, federal prosecutors said. Davis allegedly wore make-up and a wig to impersonate Njoku throughout a recorded video convention to shut a mortgage for a $4 million promissory be aware on Jan. 22, 2024, with lender Aliya Sports Finance and underwriter Sure Sports.
The actual D.N., the paperwork stated, by no means had a Georgia driver’s license. The license quantity Davis supplied was for a lady in Savannah, Georgia.
Two months later, in accordance with the court docket submitting, Sure Sports emailed Davis, believing he was McKinney, to signal for a $4.4 million mortgage on the Ritz-Carlton in New York City on April 1, 2024. Davis and Evins allegedly flew from Atlanta to New York and met with Sure and Aliya representatives by video convention. Davis was later recognized in a Florida civil lawsuit as McKinney.
On July 26, 2024, Sure Sports and All-Pro Capital Funding arrange a video convention to shut a mortgage with “M.P.” at a SpringHill Suites in Buford, Georgia. Davis allegedly confirmed up impersonating Penix to safe a $3.3 million promissory be aware from All-Pro Capital, exhibiting up with a “durag-style head covering” and offering a pretend Florida license with a photograph discovered on-line.
In all, the court docket submitting alleges there have been not less than 13 pretend loans for greater than $19.8 million. Lenders allegedly wired cash to accounts managed by Davis and Evins for pretend corporations they arrange, after which they transferred the cash into corporations the 2 really owned.
Aliya sued Sure Sports in Florida’s eleventh Circuit Court in February 2025, alleging negligence, gross negligence, negligent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment, in accordance with court docket information. That case continues to be pending.
“The Aliya Sports Finance Fund, L.P. is working to protect its investors from improper conduct that has caused damage to the fund,” Aliya lawyer Josh Rubens wrote in an e mail to ESPN on Thursday. “The fund cannot comment further given the pending litigation.”
Darren Heitner, the lawyer representing Sure Sports, declined remark.
The March 19 submitting, labeled a “criminal information,” usually is used when a defendant waives the precise to indictment by grand jury, clearing the best way for the felony course of to start. It usually results in a responsible plea or plea cut price.
Davis was a high 150 highschool prospect in ESPN’s recruiting rankings who performed defensive finish at Alabama from 2007 to 2010, making 47 tackles and profitable a nationwide championship within the 2009 season.
In 2013, Davis was alleged to be an middleman between 5 SEC gamers and NFL brokers for the gamers to obtain impermissible advantages — then a violation of NCAA guidelines.
