Report: Penix, Njoku, McKinney used by ex-Bama DE for fraud
A former Alabama soccer participant faces costs of wire fraud and id theft after he allegedly used wigs and pretend driver’s licenses to impersonate NFL gamers for the aim of securing almost $20 million in loans, in keeping with federal court docket information.
Prosecutors allege that Luther Davis meant to be three totally different NFL gamers from May 2023 till October 2024 to safe loans from a number of lending businesses.
The gamers whose identities had been allegedly used are Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.former Cleveland Browns tight finish David Njoku and Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinneyin keeping with a report.
The court docket paperwork state that not one of the gamers had approved the loans and that faux e-mail accounts had been created with out their information.
Plea hearings are scheduled for April 27 for Davis and CJ Evins, Davis’ companion within the alleged scheme. Evins is listed in a separate submitting alleging wire fraud and id theft costs in the identical case, and his lawyer, Ben Alper, informed ESPN in an e-mail Thursday his shopper is scheduled to plead responsible.
Davis’ lawyer didn’t instantly reply to an ESPN request for remark.
Davis and Evins used the identities of three NFL gamers — “DN,” “XM” and “MP” — to use for the loans. The Guardian, which first reported the story, recognized DN, XM and MP as Njoku, McKinney and Penix, respectively.
To persuade lenders they had been the three gamers, the court docket paperwork allege that Davis and Evins created “fabricated personal financial statements, Secretary of State documents, and bank statements for companies purportedly operated by the players.” The doc, filed March 19 in Atlanta, alleges that Davis and Evins registered corporations just like the names of the gamers to perform this.
Davis would present up “dressed in disguise and impersonated the players” on the mortgage closings, together with utilizing faux driver’s licenses to idiot the lenders and the notary public, federal prosecutors said. Davis allegedly wore make-up and a wig to impersonate Njoku throughout a recorded video convention to shut a mortgage for a $4 million promissory notice on Jan. 22, 2024, with lender Aliya Sports Finance and underwriter Sure Sports.
The actual DN, the paperwork mentioned, by no means had a Georgia driver’s license. The license quantity Davis offered was for a girl in Savannah, Georgia.
Two months later, in keeping with the court docket submitting, Sure Sports emailed Davis, believing he was McKinney, to signal for a $4.4 million mortgage on the Ritz-Carlton in New York City on April 1, 2024. Davis and Evins allegedly flew from Atlanta to New York and met with Sure and Aliya representatives by video convention. Davis was later recognized in a Florida civil lawsuit as McKinney.
On July 26, 2024, Sure Sports and All-Pro Capital Funding arrange a video convention to shut a mortgage with “MP” at a SpringHill Suites in Buford, Georgia. Davis allegedly confirmed up impersonating Penix to safe a $3.3 million promissory notice from All-Pro Capital, displaying up with a “durag-style head covering” and offering a faux Florida license with a photograph discovered on-line.
In all, the court docket submitting allegations there have been at the very least 13 faux loans for greater than $19.8 million. Lenders allegedly wired cash to accounts managed by Davis and Evins for faux corporations they arrange, after which they transferred the cash into corporations the 2 truly owned.
Aliya sued Sure Sports in Florida’s eleventh Circuit Court in February 2025, alleging negligence, gross negligence, negligent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment, in keeping with court docket information. That case remains to be pending.
“The Aliya Sports Finance Fund, LP is working to protect its investors from improper conduct that has caused damage to the fund,” Aliya lawyer Josh Rubens wrote in an e-mail to ESPN on Thursday. “The fund cannot comment further given the pending litigation.”
Darren Heitner, the lawyer representing Sure Sports, declined remark.
The March 19 submitting, labeled a “criminal information,” sometimes is used when a defendant waives the best to indictment by grand jury, clearing the best way for the felony course of to start. It usually results in a responsible plea or plea discount.
Davis was a high 150 highschool prospect in ESPN’s recruiting rankings who performed defensive finish at Alabama from 2007 to 2010, making 47 tackles and profitable a nationwide championship within the 2009 season.
In 2013, Davis was alleged to be an middleman between 5 SEC gamers and NFL brokers for the gamers to obtain impermissible advantages — then a violation of NCAA guidelines.