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Georgia Man Sentenced for Defrauding NBA Star Dwight Howard
A Georgia man has received a 12-year prison sentence after scamming millions from former NBA player and potential Hall of Famer Dwight Howard. Howard, known for his remarkable achievements in basketball, including three-time Defensive Player of the Year honors, testified regarding the $7 million he believed he was investing in a bid to purchase the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.
Ultimately, Howard discovered that Calvin Darden Jr., the man he funded, had no legitimate ownership stake in the team. This realization came after ESPN disclosed that the Atlanta Dream had been sold to an investor group, leaving Howard bewildered and deceived.
In addition to Howard, prosecutors revealed that Darden and a sports agent had also duped former NBA player Chandler Parsons. They convinced Parsons to part with $1 million under the pretense that the funds would support the development of James Wiseman. Wiseman was selected as the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. However, it became clear that neither Darden nor the agent had any connection with Wiseman, who never agreed to be represented by them.
A Manhattan federal court judge ruled on Thursday that Darden must forfeit $8 million alongside several extravagant items acquired through his fraudulent activities. Among these possessions are a $3.7 million mansion in Atlanta, $600,000 worth of Jean-Michel Basquiat artwork, a Lamborghini, and a Rolls-Royce.
Darden was found guilty in October of multiple charges, including wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. This is not Darden’s first brush with the law; he had previously served a year in federal prison in New York for impersonating his father, Cal Darden—a former executive at UPS—in an unsuccessful attempt to acquire Maxim magazine.
The Atlanta Dream, which once had joint ownership involving former Republican U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, faced significant backlash leading to her forced sale of the team due to her opposition to league initiatives focused on racial justice and equality.
Dwight Howard was notably the first overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, selected by the Orlando Magic—a team he represented for several years before moving on to other franchises.
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