ATLANTA -- A former Alabama defensive tackle pleaded guilty Monday to defrauding investors out 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 athletes' 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.
The players whose identities were allegedly used are Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., former Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku and Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney, according to a report by The Guardian.
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 at least 13 fraudulent loans that Davis and Evins used in part to buy real estate, jewelry and cars, according to a criminal complaint filed last month.
Davis was a national champion with the Crimson Tide in 2010.
Information from ESPN's Michael Rothstein and The Associated Press was used in this report.