- 3 hours ago
Dukes & Bell detail a bizarre identity theft scheme where former Alabama player Luther Davis allegedly impersonated Michael Penix Jr. and other NFL stars to secure millions in fraudulent loans.
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00:00Tell me what is going on with this story about Michael Penix.
00:04We're just talking about movie scripts and ideas for Hollywood.
00:06You couldn't make this stuff up if I wrote this script.
00:09A guy that was part of Nick Saban's first recruiting class at Alabama named Luther Davis
00:13is facing multiple charges here.
00:15Sorry, got arrested in Atlanta for, amongst others, impersonating Michael Penix Jr.,
00:20several other NFL players, including the Browns' David Njoko and Xavier McKinney of the Packers.
00:28Charges were filed here in Atlanta on March 19th.
00:31The story just broke yesterday, which includes two felonies for conspiracy to commit wire fraud,
00:35aggravated identity theft.
00:37They allege that this dude worked with a guy named C.J. Evans to obtain 13 loans.
00:42We're talking millions and millions, tens of millions of dollars.
00:44So Michael Penix Jr., they somehow got fraudulent documents,
00:49and they said they used fake IDs, makeup, wigs to disguise themselves as others.
00:54And they literally, they say a guy wore a do-rag-style head covering to impersonate Michael Penix Jr.
01:00And they made, the fraudulent loans came up to $19,845,000.
01:07And we talk, we talk about it in years, commercials for identity fraud every day.
01:11But it started about May of 2023.
01:13So it was before Penix Jr. even, you know, got here.
01:16Yep.
01:16But, unbelievable, they executed a scheme to obtain millions through multiple lenders.
01:23Aaliyah Sports, all pro-capital funding by impersonating pros.
01:26Some of these, they went to agents, which are almost like Shylocks or like, you know,
01:29basically banks, you know, that are, I mean, I guess they're legitimate banks because the feds are involved.
01:34But they got loans.
01:35And they impersonated people and they forged documents, used a fake ID.
01:38They, he presented himself as David Njoku, and they basically slapped an Njoku face on a Georgia driver's license.
01:45And they got a lady from Savannah.
01:47And they got away with this.
01:48Right.
01:48Yet, I need two forms of ID to go get my new driver's license.
01:51I was going to say.
01:52I mean, like, to think of the scenarios.
01:56Think about the loan process anybody went through just bought a house.
01:59And look what these jokers got away with.
02:00Isn't that crazy?
02:01You know, it's one of the craziest stories I've seen.
02:04And the fact that, you know, again, this was an elaborate scheme.
02:09And the good news is these guys got caught.
02:11Right.
02:11I mean, but the idea, this isn't chump change.
02:14This wasn't for just a few dollars.
02:16These guys were securing $3.3 million promissory notes and all kind of stuff.
02:21I mean, it's just, when I saw the story, I said to Mike, what is the deal?
02:25And then when you said to me, well, he went in dressed up like Michael Penix Jr.
02:28So what you saying?
02:30I mean, like, we all look alike?
02:31What's going on here?
02:32Apparently, they wore makeup.
02:35They had the fixtures on their nose.
02:37They looked like these guys.
02:38I mean, look, I don't want to tell you.
02:40And nobody did an identification check?
02:41I don't want to tell the banks how to do their business.
02:43But, I mean, yeah.
02:44What the heck?
02:44What kind of nonsense is this?
02:46I mean, nobody said, sir, stay right there.
02:48Right.
02:49And then you wonder about how guys like Penix Jr., I mean, do they have a social security number?
02:53How bad his credit got?
02:54I mean, you hear about the average Joe.
02:56Now, luckily, the feds are involved and they can prove it was fraud.
02:58But, you know, sometimes people's lives get ruined over this stuff.
03:01Luckily, these guys have the means to battle it.
03:03You know, I wonder, Carl, like, because some of these things they did over Zoom and, like, webcams and stuff.
03:08Right.
03:09Is there a way you can distort the camera enough to where, like, oh, you have a Durax.
03:13I'm just going to assume you look like Michael Penix, but nothing else I can tell about you at all
03:17facial-wise?
03:18It's very possible.
03:20And, look, obviously they had a plan and a way to, you know, to go about this.
03:23They devised a plan.
03:24I just feel like even if you're doing this stuff over Zoom, there should have been checks and balances.
03:28And it feels like what happened here, Mike, and to be honest with you guys, this happens a lot.
03:33When you are famous, sometimes you just walk in and it's that old Eddie Murphy bit, Mike, where they just
03:39hand the money over.
03:40I mean, being recognized and having some notoriety or a brand does help you in certain instances, and I think
03:46that's what they played off of here.
03:48I don't even know if they had the correct information, but they played as if they did, and you're talking
03:53about millions in loans.
03:54Here's more information.
03:55This is coming from – this is The Athletic.
03:57So Davis is, again, a former Alabama player and his partner allegedly used the false ID, for instance, in Georgia
04:02here.
04:03First, Davis and Evans – this is from MSN.
04:04First, Davis and Evans would register at the Georgia Secretary of State companies with names closely related to the impersonated
04:11players' names or initials, the court documents say.
04:14They would allegedly open bank accounts for these fake companies that are just like one letter off of very similar
04:18to the real athletes' companies or whatever they've got.
04:21And anyway, they would then create fraudulent email accounts that were purportedly used by the players they were impersonating.
04:29Pennix was the target of a $3.3 million scam.
04:31The impersonator allegedly wore the do-rag during the fake loan closing.
04:36And for the fake Pennix closing on the 25th of July in 2024, yep, he wore a do-rag, provided
04:42a fake Florida driver's license because Mike's from down in Tampa, according to the filing.
04:46Pennix is often seen wearing a do-rag on the sidelines.
04:4913 fake loans, as we said, nearly over $19 million.
04:52The balls on these guys.
04:54No doubt.
04:54And elaborate, by the way.
04:55I mean, that's not something they just said, you know what, we should just go – they knew exactly how
04:59they were going to go about this.
05:00We're just putting it out there, and here's the deal.
05:02The reason why we're talking about it, one, we're talking about one of our quarterbacks.
05:05But the other reason is –
05:06Mike, he's got enough to deal with, right?
05:08Tell me about it.
05:09This identity theft thing is real, though.
05:11And if you've ever had your identity stolen, it sucks because you've got to shut down everything.
05:17And, like, you go somewhere and they're like, everybody's wondering if you are who you say you are, even though
05:22you are who you are, because you've had to stop all the credit, you know, and the banks and all
05:27that stuff.
05:27It's just brutal, man, and just be careful.
05:30I mean, that's all I can say, Mike, about this, but, you know, Michael Pennix didn't ask for this.
05:34David Njoku didn't ask for this.
05:35These guys were targeted and then used – their names were used, their likeness was used to try to get
05:41away with this fraud.
05:41It's crazy to me.
05:43Insane.
05:43So, as far as, you know, I presume we'll get the follow-up on this and how, you know, Michael
05:48has made whole as far as, you know, did they create a fake – you know, is it a different
05:52Social Security number for him?
05:53So, maybe his credit didn't get dinged.
05:54It was just simply trying to create this dummy Michael Pennix, you know, sort of operation.
05:59I don't know.
06:00Either way, a guy's dealing with injuries, trying to make his way in the NFL, and you're dealing with all
06:04this nonsense.
06:05By the way, so all the stuff he was dealing with last year, last season, this was also going down,
06:09which we didn't know about.
06:10That's true.
06:11But, by the way, when something usually goes – it looks a little shaky.
06:15You usually get a call, right?
06:17Your bank – you know, you can buy something just obscure, and your bank's like, oh, did you just purchase
06:22a $3?
06:23Because they're looking at all this stuff, and now – that's my question.
06:27Like, how did – I'm wondering, and maybe Michael will tell us in due time.
06:30How did he find out about this?
06:31Right.
06:31You know?
06:32Either way.
06:33I don't know.
06:33I've talked to folks who work in finance, whether you do Equifax, everything.
06:37I try to get all those accounts and freeze the credit so you can't check your credit.
06:41Oh, yeah.
06:41Which is a good – again, you guys know this stuff.
06:43I'm not on my Clark Howard.
06:44Anyway, but it just – when we think about –
06:47Yeah, but when you do that, you're not buying anything.
06:49Correct.
06:50At the time, you're not going for a loan, you're not doing a car.
06:53But the thing is, you know, we just have – real quick, sidebar, no blank Sherlock, but, you know, he's
06:57got a lot of stress last year.
06:59He's trying to battle and win this – you know, he's trying to keep his head above water with Zach
07:02Robinson in this offense, and he's struggling.
07:04And then, you know, I mean, just think about if that was you in your personal life, if that was
07:07over your – I'm not making excuses for the guy, but it's a hell of a thing to have to
07:10deal with.
07:10No, it's a lot.
07:11It is.
07:12And, you know, when we talk about guys just focusing on the game, we sometimes forget as fans, they do
07:17have real lives outside of the football field.
07:19Because that's how we see them.
07:20We just see them as ballplayers.
07:21Right.
07:21You don't see them with, you know, their wives or kids or girlfriends or events happening with family or somebody
07:27sick, Mike.
07:27And those things really do affect how a guy can potentially play.
07:30It's Dukes and Bell Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.
07:32Wanted to share that with you because many of you maybe had not heard that.
07:36But, again, multiple NFL players, including our own Michael Penix, among the targets used in that fraud that was basically
07:43– thank goodness they caught him here in the great state of Georgia.
07:46Let's see where that goes with the court case moving forward.
07:48So we talked a little bit of draft earlier in the show.
07:51We found out that the Falcons, according to Ian Rappaport, visited with Jeremy Bernard from Alabama.
07:57Yeah, he's been on the board.
07:58And he is there at 48.
07:59Now, I know you mocked me, but on all the mock drafts, Jeremy Bernard is there if we want him
08:03at 48.
08:04Yeah, I – again, it's all about position.
08:07We've been talking about this and we will continue to talk about it.
08:09I'd love to be a fly on the wall in Ian Cunningham's office right now talking about some of these
08:14potential prospects.
08:15And, you know, look, they probably like all of these guys.
08:18But what sets one apart from the other?
08:22When you're talking about these wide receivers, and let's just say most of these guys from a size standpoint, all
08:27fairly similar.
08:28Mike, they're all fast.
08:30They're running 4'4", 4'3".
08:31What sets them apart?
08:33Is it that interview process when they come in the flyer branch?
08:36You know, we had the kid from Missouri come in and he was on with, you know, Kay Adams.
08:39And he was talking about how cool it was to talk with Matt Ryan.
08:41How does that resonate with Matt and Ian once these guys leave versus, hey, it's just about the numbers.
08:47Because there are some guys who are not as productive in college that turn into great pros.
08:51And you go, well, man, I'm kind of surprised he was that good.
08:53But you've got to be able to see down the road and how this guy is going to be used
08:58versus what you saw in college.
09:00And that, to me, is the most fascinating part about this.
09:02How do you know he's the right guy?
09:04And I'm not talking about Bernard.
09:05I'm just simply saying any of these receivers.
09:07Right.
09:07I mean, we already said, like, Zachariah Branch.
09:09You had Steve Smith banging the drum for him.
09:10Others say he's a one-trick pony because of how he was used.
09:13Jeremy Bernard, I don't know if he did better at his pro day, but the NFL website has him at
09:174'4", 8 on his 40th time.
09:20Good, but, you know, you like that 4'3", right?
09:22Oh, no doubt.
09:23The pluses on the guy, I'm reading from the NFL website, Lance Zerline is going to join us before the
09:27draft.
09:28It says, versatile wideout, ascending production of the last three years, good size, accelerates the speed quickly, smooth route runner.
09:34The weaknesses, average feel for coverage, struggles between the hash marks.
09:39Okay.
09:40Who was throwing the ball?
09:42Oh, Ty Simpson.
09:43This most recently, yeah, Ty Simpson, right.
09:44And wasn't he with Michael Pinnock, though, if I remember correctly?
09:48I'm looking at Orrin and Day Day.
09:49Wasn't Jeremy Bernard?
09:51I want to say he was with Pinnock.
09:52He was at Washington in 23.
09:53Yeah.
09:5414 games, yep.
09:55Because he also came out and said, look, I'm not trying to connect the dots here,
10:01but I think he was also somebody that came out and said that Pinnock was one of the best quarterbacks
10:05or threw a great ball and kind of gave him some love.
10:08Either way, we'll see where the Falcons go.
10:09Well, that's at pick 48, guys.
10:11You can go wideout, DT.
10:12There's so many areas.
10:13We'll continue to examine where the Falcons are going to go.
10:16Yeah, I'm curious and maybe find out just who are the DT, more defensive tacklers coming in, linebackers.
10:21You know, we've been debating.
10:22And I honestly think this is a year where you could throw a dart because you and I said there's
10:27four basic,
10:28four knees right off the top of my head.
10:29And just no matter how they evaluate these guys, that's why they're bringing them in.
10:32It's hard to pinpoint right now, and it's seven days away.
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