Luther Davis Pleads Guilty in $20M NFL Impersonation Fraud
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- Luther Davis, a 37-year-old former Alabama defensive tackle, pleaded guilty in federal court in Atlanta to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
- CJ Evins, 29, who was accused of executing the scheme with Davis, also pleaded guilty to the same two charges; both men face up to seven years in prison, though prosecutors agreed to recommend lower sentences as part of plea deals.
- Davis impersonated three NFL players — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., former Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku, and Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney — on video calls in 2024, wearing makeup and a wig on one call, a wig on another, and a do-rag-style head covering on a third, prosecutors said.
- The scheme netted nearly $20 million through at least 13 fraudulent loans, with proceeds used in part to buy real estate, jewelry, and cars, according to a criminal complaint filed last month.
- None of the impersonated players had authorized Davis or Evins to obtain loans in their names; prosecutors say Davis also used fake driver's licenses bearing photos of the players that could be found online.
- The fraud was uncovered when security for a players' union learned that athletes' contracts had been used as loan collateral, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brock Brockington.
- Davis was a national champion with Alabama's Crimson Tide in 2010; U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg scheduled sentencing for Davis in October and Evins in August.
Why it matters: A former college football standout exploited post-NFL access to athlete contracts to steal nearly $20 million from at least 13 lenders, spending proceeds on real estate, cars, and jewelry. The case was cracked only when a players' union security team flagged the unauthorized use of contracts as collateral, exposing a gap between lender due diligence and synthetic-identity video fraud.
