The man who scammed Chandler Parsons and Dwight Howard out of $8 million has been sentenced to a long prison term.
Dwight Howard’s scammer purchased items with money he took from Howard and Parsons. Prosecutors had recommended that Darden face as many as 14 years in prison.
According to their description, he is a “lifelong fraudster” with a criminal record that includes deceiving clients while he was employed as a financial advisor for investment firms.
In order to complete the scam, Calvin Darden Jr. went as far as posing as his own father, according to the prosecution.
The Probation Office also underscored that $8 million is a sizable theft and thus warrants a stiffer punishment.
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Darden misled Howard into believing he was buying the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream when his $7 million was instead being rerouted through multiple banks into a shell company, with Darden using the money to buy luxury items, including expensive cars and real estate.
Darden tricked Parsons into believing he was lending $1 million to James Wiseman, an NBA prospect at the time, when in fact there was no loan.
Attorneys for Darden contended that nine years in prison was appropriate. Darden, 50, has three children, takes care of his elderly parents, and has serious health issues, the lawyers said.
Additionally, his lawyers emphasized that their client has never participated in violent behaviour or been a part of a gang.
However, prosecutors maintained that some of those explanations were false. Darden, for example, has committed financial crimes, which can be perpetrated by individuals of any age; financial fraudsters do not always “age out” of such crimes.
In a statement, acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said:
“Calvin Darden, Jr., stole millions of dollars from former NBA players and used the money to buy a mansion, a fleet of luxury cars, and expensive artwork.
This conviction his third, and sentence make clear that severe consequences await those who take advantage of others by fraud.”
