A former Alabama national championship-winning defensive lineman pleaded guilty to orchestrating an impersonation scheme of multiple NFL players that defrauded lenders of nearly $20 million.
Luther Davis, who played for the Crimson Tide from 2007-10 and was part of the 2009-10 title team, admitted guilt to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges on Monday, April 27, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Georgia announced.
As part of the scheme, the 37-year-old Davis and 29-year-old CJ Evins posed as representatives of players and even wore disguises to impersonate athletes, using wigs and makeup in addition to fake documents. The Guardian reported Wednesday, April 15 the two impersonated people like Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr, Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku and Alabama safety Xavier McKinney.
“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 Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a statement. “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.”
Federal officials said Davis and Evins secured millions of dollars in loans from May 2023 to October 2024 by registering companies with names closely related to the athletes they were impersonating, opened bank accounts and created several forms of fraudulent accounts and documents such as driver’s licenses to obtain the money. When loan closings required them to appear on camera, they posed as the athletes with disguises and signed paperwork in the player’s names.
Prosecutors said Daivs and Evins obtained loans worth a total of $19.8 million. The two used the money from the scheme to pay off loan balances and fund their lifestyles.
It was uncovered when a players’ union learned the impersonated athletes’ contract were used as collateral. They were charged in March.
The FBI is still investigating the case, but Davis will be sentenced on Oct. 8 while Evins is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 4. They each face up to seven years in prison, but prosecutors recommended a lower sentence as part of plea deals, according to ESPN.
A highly touted high school recruit out of West Monroe, Louisiana, Davis had 47 total tackles − eight for loss − in 45 career games with the Crimson Tide.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Luther Davis pleads guilty to imitating NFL players in loan fraud