A million-dollar scam is going viral on social media, with a man named Daejon Love at the center. But he is staying behind bars for now. The 35-year-old accused of posing as a San Francisco 49ers player while allegedly running a $1.3 million romance and investment scam has been ordered to remain in custody following a court hearing in Idaho.
According to the NY Post, a judge granted prosecutors’ request to keep Love detained pending his transfer to Oregon, where he faces federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
Prosecutors argued that the 35-year-old is a serious flight risk, pointing to his alleged use of multiple names, phones and vehicles and the fact that he has no known residence. “The Defendant is a fraudster who uses multiple names, multiple vehicles, and travels through many states to meet and con his victims,” prosecutors said in their detention filing.
Love is currently being held at the Ada County Jail in Boise. His next court date in Oregon will be set after he is transferred, and prosecutors said that process could take some time.
His alleged accomplice, 18-year-old Taylor Jamie Chan, has been released pending trial and is expected to make his initial appearance in Oregon on September 10. Both men have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
What prosecutors say happened
© GettyLove is accused of creating an entirely fake life to convince women he was wealthy, successful and, most notably, a professional football player. According to federal prosecutors, he met many of his alleged victims through dating apps and presented himself as either a San Francisco 49ers player or wealthy real estate investor.
He allegedly built romantic relationships with women before introducing Chan as his financial adviser and pitching fake investment opportunities.
The alleged scheme stretched from February 2022 until the men’s arrests on August 24. Investigators have identified 26 victims across California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho and say Love and Chan received approximately $1.3 million. The FBI believes there could be more victims.
The alleged football persona was elaborate. Love reportedly posted photos of himself in 49ers gear, created videos portraying himself as a player, and used social media to make the story appear legitimate.
The NFL and 49ers have said he was never employed by either organization. In one video obtained by OutKick, Love appeared to sign what he presented as an NFL contract. When asked who he was signing with, he responded, “Niners, you already know, Niner gang.”
He allegedly went even further, using fake financial accounts and staged communications to make women believe they were investing in legitimate opportunities. Prosecutors say some victims were encouraged to take out personal loans when they didn’t have enough money to invest.
One woman says she saw through him
One of the women who encountered Love said she became suspicious before sending him any money.
Ayana Velasquez told CBS News that she met Love through a dating app in 2021, when he used the name “Jonathan.” She said he told her he wanted a future with her, including children and a house, while bragging about his family’s wealth.
Years later, Love allegedly contacted her again claiming he was “in the NFL now.” “It just seemed too good to be true,” Velasquez recalled. She said he sent her photos and videos that appeared to show him as a 49ers player, but she checked the metadata on some of the footage and noticed it had been screen-recorded.
“Once I saved those into my camera roll, they said that they were screen-recorded,” she told CBS. “So I was like, oh, that’s definitely not any of his.” Velasquez blocked him. “I’m not going to be entertaining that for my own good,” she recalled thinking.
For the women prosecutors say were convinced, however, the alleged deception went much further. Federal authorities say Love cultivated romantic relationships and used that emotional trust to persuade victims to hand over money.
Love and Chan have not been convicted, and the charges against them remain allegations. The case will now move forward in Oregon, where Love is expected to face the federal charges after his transfer.
Read the full article here
