A judge has sentenced CJ Evins, one of two men who impersonated NFL players, to prison for his role in a $20 million wire fraud scheme.
Evins and former Alabama defensive lineman Luther Davis impersonated Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Los Angeles Chargers tight end David Njoku and Green Bay Packers cornerback Xavier McKinney in virtual loan meetings to obtain nearly $20 million in fraudulent loans. Davis even went so far as to wear disguises, including wigs and makeup, during loan closings.
“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,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in April, announcing their guilty pleas.
A judge will sentence the alleged ‘mastermind’ of the scheme later
In a pre-sentencing statement filed last month, Evins’ attorney, Ben Alper, said that Luther Davis “was the mastermind and primary instigator” of the scheme and that Evins started working as Davis’ intern. Court documents stated that Davis and Evins worked together to create “fabricated personal financial statements, Secretary of State documents, and bank statements for companies purportedly operated by the players.”
Davis and Evans obtained fictitious driver’s licenses and other identification documents in the players’ names, then would contact loan brokers with fake bank statements for companies allegedly run by the players, along with other fabricated documents.
The court will sentence Luther Davis in late October. However, according to ESPN, a federal judge sentenced Evins, 29, to 72 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on Tuesday.
“Evins’s sentence, which must be served without the possibility of parole, sends a message to those who would consider impersonating someone, whether Pro or Joe, to perpetrate fraud: you will be prosecuted, and you will go to prison,” Hertzberg said in a statement.
After receiving his sentence, Alper said Evins “accepts the court’s decision, takes full responsibility for his actions, and is deeply remorseful for his involvement in this case.”