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Luther Davis and CJ Evins admit to pro athlete identity theft

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  April 27, 2026 5:48pm EDT
Fulton County
FOX 5 Atlanta
article

Luther Davis #96 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates after winning the Citi BCS National Championship game over the Texas Longhorns at the Rose Bowl on January 7, 2010 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

The Brief

    • Two Georgia men admitted to wearing wigs and makeup to trick lenders into giving them nearly $20 million in loans by pretending to be pro athletes.
    • The pair registered fake companies and used bogus documents to secure a dozen fraudulent loans for luxury items and real estate.
    • The scheme fell apart after an athletes' union discovered the player contracts being used as collateral were fakes.

ATLANTA - Two men from Fulton County pleaded guilty Monday to federal charges for a massive identity theft scheme where they used disguises to impersonate professional athletes to steal millions in loans. 

Federal fraud case in Atlanta

What we know:

Luther Davis of Roswell and CJ Evins of Johns Creek admitted to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on Monday. 

Between May 2023 and October 2024, the pair secured 12 loans totaling $19,845,000 by claiming to represent famous athletes. 

To pull off the trick, the men registered businesses with names similar to the players, created fake driver's licenses, and even wore wigs and makeup during on-camera loan closings to look like the borrowers. 

They used the money to pay for jewelry, watches and to buy or refinance homes. 

What we don't know:

While officials say the men impersonated several professional football players, the specific names of the athletes whose identities were stolen have not been released. 

What's next:

Both men are now waiting for their sentences to be handed down by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg. Evins is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 4, while Davis is set for Oct. 8. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, who provided statements from U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg and the FBI regarding guilty pleas entered in federal court. 

Fulton CountyAlabamaSportsNewsNFLCrime and Public Safety