NATIONAL NEWS

Former Alabama tackle pleads guilty to defrauding investors using wigs to impersonate NFL players

Apr 27, 2026, 1:50 PM | Updated: 2:52 pm

ATLANTA (AP) — A former defensive tackle at the University of Alabama pleaded guilty Monday to defrauding investors of millions of dollars by putting on makeup and wigs to impersonate NFL players.

Luther Davis entered guilty pleas in federal court in Atlanta to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. CJ Evins, who was accused of executing the scheme with Davis, also pleaded guilty to the two charges.

Prosecutors say Davis wore disguises on multiple video calls with investors in 2024 to impersonate three different NFL players. He wore makeup and a wig once, a wig a second time and a do-rag-style head covering on a third call.

A court filing last month says none of the NFL players had authorized Davis and Evins to obtain loans. In addition to wearing disguises, prosecutors say Davis used fake driver’s licenses with photos of the players that could be found online.

The scheme brought in nearly $20 million from at least 13 fraudulent loans that Davis and Evins used to buy real estate, jewelry and cars, according to the complaint.

Davis was a national champion with the Crimson Tide in 2010.

National News

FILE - Dan Sullivan, a candidate in Alaska's U.S. Senate race who shares his name with the incumben...

Associated Press

Republican with same name as incumbent Dan Sullivan advances from Alaska US Senate primary

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A candidate with the same name as Alaska’s incumbent U.S. senator advanced Tuesday to the general election in what will be one of the most closely watched races in the country this fall. Dan J. Sullivan, who goes by Dan Sullivan, was among the top four finishers after the Aug. 18 […]

6 hours ago

Harold Jezler poses for a picture with a photo of his wife, Olga Jezler, in West Harrison, N.Y., Fr...

Associated Press

Release of Marine veteran from Russian custody turns focus to other detainees with health concerns

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert Gilman’s release from Russian custody this month heralded a long-awaited homecoming for the Marine veteran after more than four years behind bars. But as Harold Jezler followed the media coverage from the United States, he couldn’t help but notice Gilman’s gaunt and sickly appearance and think of the implications for his […]

6 hours ago

Associated Press

The US and Canada could pull back from an all-out trade war. It’s not clear that they will

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and Canada have ramped up their trade war, hitting each other with steep new tit-for-tat tariffs. Despite the bravado coming from both sides of the border, though, analysts suspect the longtime allies will eventually strike a deal to end a conflict neither really wants. The prospects for compromise looked bleak […]

6 hours ago

FILE - A federal agent wears an Immigration and Customs Enforcement badge in New York, June 10, 202...

Associated Press

ICE agent charged with shooting in Minnesota could be released from Texas jail

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — An ICE agent charged in Minnesota with firing his gun through a house door, striking a man in his leg, and then lying to justify the shooting, could walk out of a South Texas jail on Thursday if a federal judge does not intervene. Christian Castro, an agent for U.S. Immigration […]

6 hours ago

Robert Ladd, a former Compton, Calif., police officer who was part of the department's gang unit, t...

Associated Press

Former detective says Tupac murder suspect was gang ‘shot caller’ who had final say in shooting

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A former Compton gang detective testified Tuesday that Duane “Keffe D” Davis was a high-ranking “shot caller” whose authority meant younger gang members would not have opened fire on Tupac Shakur with Davis present unless he allowed it. Robert Ladd, a former Compton police officer who spent years investigating gang homicides, […]

6 hours ago

FILE - The site of a future data center being built near Abernathy, Texas, July 18, 2026, in Hale C...

Associated Press

Here’s all the ways that data center controversies have transformed the midterm elections

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The snowballing opposition to data centers in communities across the United States has transformed the midterm election landscape, thrown a wrench into the plans of the world’s richest companies and brought perhaps the industry’s biggest booster, President Donald Trump, to its defense. It’s a dramatic shift from two years ago, when […]

6 hours ago

Former Alabama tackle pleads guilty to defrauding investors using wigs to impersonate NFL players