04/27/26 07:08:00
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04/27 19:07 CDT Former Alabama tackle pleads guilty to defrauding investors
using wigs to impersonate NFL players
Former Alabama tackle pleads guilty to defrauding investors using wigs to
impersonate NFL players
By SUDHIN THANAWALA
Associated Press
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.
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