Ex-Alabama player impersonated Michael Penix, other NFL stars in $20 million fraud case

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Former Alabama football player Luther Davis is facing multiple fraud charges after reportedly impersonating Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix and several other NFL players according to court documents obtained by AL.com. Davis, who owns a sports management company in Georgia, played for the Crimson Tide's 2009 national championship team and is expected to plead guilty in the $20 million case, which surfaced on Wednesday following an initial report byThe Guardian.

Charges against Davis were filed in Atlanta on March 19, which include two felonies for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, Davis worked with someone named CJ Evins to obtain 13 loans in the names of current or former NFL players.

Penix was one of three players identified by The Guardian, along with former Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku and Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney. McKinney was part of Alabama's 2017 signing class under Nick Saban.

Documents attest that Davis and his accomplice, "executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in loans from multiple lenders … by impersonating football players and falsely claiming those players were seeking multi-million dollar loans."

The pair used fake IDs, wigs and makeup to disguise themselves as others during "virtual loan closings" in the names of players who had not given their consent. Davis allegedly used photos found online of the players and wore a "durag-style head covering" to impersonate Penix.

The fraudulent loans obtained totaled more than $19,845,000, per the criminal information document.

"Beginning no later than in or around May 2023 and continuing through in or about October 2024, the defendant, Luther Davis, and CJ Evins, executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain millions of dollars in loans from multiple lenders, including, but not limited to, Aliya Sports and All Pro Capital Funding, by impersonating professional football players and falsely claiming those players were seeking multi-million dollar Loans," federal prosecutors said within the charges, per The Guardian.

A native of West Monroe, Louisiana, Davis was a member of Saban's first signing class at Alabama in 2007 and is a former U.S. Army All-American. He played in 45 games over the next four seasons and a few years after leaving the Crimson Tide, was deemed a "runner" for various agents and advisers trying to filter money to SEC recruits, including former Alabama five-star offensive lineman D.J. Fluker.