Former Alabama player pleads guilty in wild fraud case impersonating NFL players

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Earlier this month, news broke that former Alabama Crimson Tide football player Luther Davis faced charges of wire fraud and identity theft after allegedly using wigs and fake identification of several NFL players to secure nearly $20 million in loans.

Now, Davis has pleaded guilty this week in federal court in Atlanta to charges including one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. His scheme partner CJ Evins also pleaded guilty to the same two charges.

Each will be sentenced later on, with U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg scheduling sentencing for Davis this upcoming October and Evins in August.

The charges carry possible sentences of up to seven years in prison, however, according to reporting from WAFF, prosecutors agreed to recommend a lower sentence for both men as part of the plea deals.

According to court documents, the two men “fabricated personal financial statements, Secretary of State documents, and bank statements for companies purportedly operated by the players.”

Davis would attend closings virtually dressed in disguise to impersonate Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., former Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku and Green Bay Packers safety (and fellow former Alabama star) Xavier McKinney.

After securing close to $20 million, which they used partially to purchase real estate, jewelry and cars, it seems likely that both Davis and Evins will see legitimate jail time.

Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.