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Former Alabama tackle pleads guilty to defrauding investors using wigs to impersonate NFL players

ATLANTA (AP) — A former defensive tackle at the University of Alabama pleaded guilty Monday to defrauding investors of millions of dollars in part by putting on makeup and wigs to impersonate 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 Evins, 29, who was accused of executing the scheme with Davis, also pleaded guilty to the two charges.

Both men left court without commenting. U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg scheduled sentencing for Davis in October and Evins in August. The men each face up to seven years in prison, though prosecutors agreed to recommend a lower sentence as part of plea deals.

In court Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brock Brockington said the men used fake bank and email accounts to help convince lenders they were either acting on behalf of particular athletes or were the athletes themselves. They later sought to impersonate higher-profile players with bigger contracts, he said.

Security for a players’ union learned that fraudulent player contracts had been used as collateral, he said. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta filed a criminal complaint against Davis and Evins last month.

Davis wore disguises on multiple video calls with investors in 2024, pretending to be three different NFL players. He wore makeup and a wig once, a wig a second time and a do-rag-style head covering on a third call, according to prosecutors, who identified the players only by initials.

None of the NFL players had authorized Davis and Evins to obtain loans. In addition to wearing disguises, prosecutors say Davis used fake driver’s licenses with photos of the players that could be found online.

The scheme brought in nearly $20 million from numerous fraudulent loans that Davis and Evins used in part to buy real estate, jewelry and cars, according to the criminal complaint.

Davis was a national champion with the Crimson Tide in 2010.

Sorsby gambling addiction casts light on issue that could affect thousands of college athletes

In the eight years since the Supreme Court cleared the way for legal sports gambling across the country, the bad headlines for college sports have picked up. Coaches being tainted by scandals at their programs. The social media pressure on athletes to perform for gamblers. The arrests and indictments of players, former players and associates betting on the outcome of games few remember. The back-and-forth over whether to allow college athletes, who can now earn millions, to bet on pro or college sports. This week, the problems were underscored in a dramatic way: Brendan Sorsby, set to become the well-paid quarterback of Big 12 defending champion Texas Tech, stepped away to seek treatment for a gambling addiction. Investigations are reportedly under way involving a potential Heisman Trophy hopeful and his stays at Indiana and Cincinnati before his transfer to Texas Tech ahead of next season. Details have not been released about Sorsby's gambling. But experts estimate that thousands of athletes in men's college sports are engaged in compulsive gambling.
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