A Georgia businessman has been found guilty of defrauding former NBA stars Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons of $8 million after a trial in Manhattan federal court. The verdict was returned against Calvin Darden Jr. eight years after he was sentenced to a year in prison for impersonating his successful father in an attempted purchase of Maxim magazine. Despite cooperating in the previous case, Darden declined two plea deals and opted for a trial this time.
During the trial, Howard, renowned for his successful career as an NBA center, testified that he was tricked into giving Darden $7 million under the pretence of investing in a women’s basketball franchise, receiving nothing in return but a deception. Prosecutors revealed that Darden collaborated with a sports agent to convince Parsons to transfer $1 million, supposedly for the development of NBA player James Wiseman.
Following the conviction on all charges, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Meade pushed for Darden’s immediate imprisonment, highlighting his history of fraud convictions and estimating he could face 11 to 14 years in jail. The government plans to seize Darden’s assets including his Atlanta home, luxury vehicles, art, and jewellery acquired through the fraudulent scheme.
Despite the prosecution’s firm stance, Judge Vernon S. Broderick granted Darden bail based on his lawyer’s assurance that he poses no further fraud risk and is needed by his family, especially his ailing father – a former UPS executive. The defence argued against the prosecution’s claims, suggesting they relied on speculation rather than concrete evidence to sway the jury.
Prosecutors outlined how Darden spent the majority of the $7 million from Howard on personal luxuries, including cars, a piano, a home down payment, watches, and art, while using his father’s reputation to bolster his schemes. The defence countered, asserting that Darden did not deceive the athletes by impersonating his father and accused the prosecution of pushing subjective interpretations for a conviction.