Georgia man gets 12 years in jail after scamming $7 million from NBA star who wanted to invest in WNBA team

A antheral successful Georgia was sentenced to 12 years successful jailhouse for scamming millions of dollars from a imaginable hoops Hall of Famer.

Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard testified successful tribunal that helium gave Calvin Darden Jr. $7 million, reasoning it was an concern toward the acquisition of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream.

Howard, an eight-time All-Star, past learned Darden was not an proprietor of the squad erstwhile ESPN reported the squad had been sold to an capitalist group.

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Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic argues a telephone during a preseason crippled against the Miami Heat astatine Amway Center Dec. 21, 2011, successful Orlando, Fla. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Prosecutors said Darden and a sports cause besides conned ex-NBA subordinate Chandler Parsons into sending $1 cardinal that was expected to assistance successful the improvement of James Wiseman, who was drafted by the Golden State Warriors arsenic the 2nd wide prime successful the 2020 NBA Draft.

But the 2 didn't cognize Wiseman, and the subordinate ne'er agreed to beryllium represented by the cause arsenic they claimed to Parsons. Wiseman past played for the Indiana Pacers earlier being traded to the Toronto Raptors, who waived him earlier this year.

A Manhattan national tribunal justice connected Thursday ordered Darden to forfeit $8 cardinal and respective luxury items helium acquired with his ill-gotten gains, including a $3.7 cardinal Atlanta mansion, $600,000 successful artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat, a Lamborghini and a Rolls-Royce.

Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up up of a crippled against the Toronto Raptors astatine Scotiabank Arena March 18, 2022, successful Toronto.  (Cole Burston/Getty Images)

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Darden was convicted by a assemblage successful October of ligament fraud, slope fraud and wealth laundering charges.

He was antecedently sentenced to a twelvemonth successful national situation successful New York for impersonating his father, Cal Darden, a erstwhile enforcement astatine Atlanta-based United Parcel Service, successful a failed bid to bargain Maxim magazine.

Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers during a crippled against the Orlando Magic Jan. 21, 2022, astatine Amway Center successful Orlando, Fla.  (Gary Bassing/NBAE via Getty Images)

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The Atlanta Dream were erstwhile co-owned by erstwhile Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, but she was pressured to merchantability aft clashing with players implicit her absorption to the league’s radical justness initiatives.

Howard was the archetypal prime of the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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