Former Alabama defensive tackle Luther Davis, who won a national championship with the Crimson Tide in 2010, pleaded guilty Monday to collecting nearly $20 million in fraudulent loans while posing as several NFL players.
Davis and co-conspirator CJ Evins, who likewise pleaded guilty to similar charges Monday, built an elaborate plot to dress up as star players and fool lenders into granting them money that they then used to buy real estate, cars and jewelry. The fraud occurred between May 2023 and October 2024.
“Using fake documents, bogus corporations, wigs, and makeup, Davis and Evins convinced lenders they were NFL players, obtained millions of dollars in fraudulent loans, and used the proceeds of their crimes to purchase real estate and luxury items,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg in a Department of Justice statement announcing the pleas. “This scheme highlights that anyone can be a target of identity theft, and my office will vigorously investigate and prosecute swindlers who steal identities to defraud others.”
The players Davis and Evins impersonated were not named in the indictment federal prosecutors filed against them. They were only identified by their initials: X.M., D.N. and M.P.
Prosecutors said that when lenders set up Zoom calls with the supposed athletes and notaries to finalize loan applications, Davis dressed up and provided fake IDs and financial documents to conceal his identity. Those documents included stolen and fabricated driver’s license numbers featuring pictures of the players that were “easily found online,” but the lenders involved did not realize anything was wrong until months after they released the funds.
Among those misled were lenders Aliya Sports Finance Fund and All Pro Capital Funding, as well as Sure Sports, a brokerage firm that negotiates financial deals with professional athletes. Aliya is currently suing Sure Sports in Florida for allegedly neglecting to verify that Davis and Evins were the players they claimed to be.
Both Davis and Evins pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. Evins is set to be sentenced Aug. 4, while Davis’ sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 8.
The Justice Department statement said the FBI is still investigating the scheme, but did not specify whether others will face charges or if additional charges against Evins or Davis are expected.
Davis played for Alabama from 2007 to 2010 and won a BCS national championship in Nick Saban’s third season as head coach. He never played in the NFL, however.
Following his college career, Davis was accused in 2013 of violating NCAA rules by working as a bagman facilitating banned transactions between college football stars, NFL agents and financial advisors. No criminal charges emerged from those alleged dealings, and only one player faced NCAA sanctions. The others had already left college, several of whom became NFL stars.
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