ATLANTA — A defensive lineman on Alabama’s 2009 national championship football team is accused of impersonating at least three NFL players in schemes that defrauded lenders out of nearly $20 million, according to court documents.
Luther Davis, who runs a sports management company in Georgia, is expected to plead guilty when he appears in court on April 27, according to a change of plea agreement that was filed on Monday. Davis is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, according to court documents.
The charges, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia/Atlanta Division, was filed on March 19. The filing came to light after a report from The Guardian on Wednesday.
Davis and a partner identified as CJ Evins -- who runs a separate sports management firm in Georgia -- “obtained at least 13 fraudulent loans totaling more than $19,845,000,” according to court documents.
Between May 2023 and October 2024, the two men allegedly “executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in loans from multiple lenders.” The men allegedly used the names of current or former NFL players to obtain -- or attempt to obtain -- the loans, AL.com reported.
Investigators said that Davis put on wigs, makeup, and disguises to appear on video loan closings to impersonate the players, WAFF reported.
Court documents referred to three NFL players by their initials, whose names were allegedly used by Davis -- D.N., X.M. and M.P. The Guardian, citing unnamed sources, said the players were former Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku, Green Bay Packers defensive back Xavier McKinney and Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
The players are not connected to the alleged scheme, other than having their identities stolen, according to the newspaper.
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— AL.com (@aldotcom) April 16, 2026
Former Alabama football player Luther Davis is expected to plead guilty in a $20 million fraud case in which he is alleged to have impersonated at least three NFL players. pic.twitter.com/PPLmpgMiLf
Court documents state that Davis was able to land a $4.025 million loan from Aliya Sports, using Njoku’s identity.
The second scam loan -- also from Aliya Sports -- was in the amount of $4.35 million, with the defendant claiming to be McKinney.
The third loan cited in the filing was for $3.3 million and was procured from All Pro Capital Funding. Penix’s name was used by the defendant to defraud the company, The Guardian reported.
Davis and Evins registered “companies with names closely related to the impersonated player’s name or initials,” according to court documents. They opened bank accounts and email addresses and obtained fake identification documents — including driver’s licenses — in the names of the impersonated players, AL.com reported.
These actions were all done “without the knowledge and consent” of the alleged victims" court documents stated.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, AL.com reported. Aggravated identity theft carries a mandatory minimum of two years in prison on top of the related charges, according to the news outlet.
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