Feds Say Man Faked Entire 49ers Career to Steal $1.3 Million From 26 Women

A man built an elaborate illusion around a fabricated NFL career using his own helmet, a fake signing video, and Instagram accounts filled with false highlights. That way, he managed to steal over $1.3 million from at least 26 victims across four states, according to the Department of Justice.

Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, and Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, were indicted in Portland on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon said. Authorities arrested the pair on August 24 at Boise Airport in Idaho, with Chan arriving from California to join Love. The two were looking for new victims.

Beginning in February 2022, court documents reveal Love and Chan devised numerous fake investment schemes to scam women in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California. Love mostly met the victims online through various dating apps and posed as a wealthy San Francisco 49ers player or a prosperous real estate investor. Chan was supposedly Love’s financial advisor.

“The scheme relied on Love’s creation of fictitious personas and display of a lavish lifestyle, which Love presented to victims both in person and on social media websites,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

An Instagram account associated with Love describes him in the bio as an undrafted NFL wide receiver for the 49ers. This account featured highlights titled “Free Agency,” “Year 1,” and “Super Bowl” with pictures and videos of Love training in the team’s equipment, holding a football, and standing next to fancy cars.

In the highlight named “NFL Journey,” Love holds the 49ers helmet while driving and speaks to his followers.

“I know I get a lot of fans who want to know how football works or how I got involved in the league,” he said. “I chose SF because it was the right time. I was kind of already living in the Bay, and it just worked out for me.” Interrupted by beeping from his vehicle, he added, “I’m in my new McLaren, and it’s just real touch and go.”

Love shows a screenshot of the AI summary the search engine made about him as a 49ers wide receiver. “That’s Google,” Love said. “That’s not me, that’s Google.”

Then, Love points a bent finger at the camera to explain his injury and wants “full transparency” because everyone keeps asking how he managed to afford a $500,000 car and a $300,000 Lamborghini Urus.

Later, Love posted a video on Instagram of himself signing something called an NFL contract. When the FBI asked him to name whom he signed up with, Love responded, “Niners, you already know, Niner gang.” As stated in the affidavit, Love shot a video of himself “purportedly signing an employment contract with the 49ers.”

The affidavit says NFL and 49ers representatives confirmed to investigators that Love was never employed by either the team or the league. His financial statements showed nothing, and investigators found no evidence of payments from the team’s payroll.

As stated in the affidavit, Love spent more than $1,160 on the site selling custom football helmets and acquired real props such as money, social media followers, likes, and views. In one video, he says San Francisco offered him the best salary, that he got a signing bonus, and that he attended meetings and training. He also says he knows NFL players Tyreek Hill, Antonio Brown, and John Brown and explains how he got the tryouts.

According to prosecutors, Love used various apps on the phone to generate fictitious bank and investment balances to present to the women as proof of his wealth. In January 2024, as stated in the affidavit, he asked Chan to send him a screenshot of a $3.4 million balance, and the following month, one of $11 million in a stock account.

Chan sent Love messages about the alleged new investment opportunities, which the latter shared with his victims in the form of screenshots, according to prosecutors. The pair held three-way FaceTime calls with the victims, showing them fake investment gains.

“Chan and Love also hosted three-way FaceTime calls in which they showed victims falsified investment gains and encouraged victims to part with their money,” federal officials revealed. “Victims sent money because they thought it would be invested in real opportunities for them.”

As the FBI reported, Love asked several women with small amounts of money to take out personal loans and promised them a quick payback. According to investigators, Love stopped contacting his victims once they ran out of money or started asking too many questions. None of the 26 identified victims ever received any returns, repayments, or even account statements.

Love used several aliases, including Jon Love, Daejon Love, Avril Lyto Love, and Jordan Love. From July 15 to August 24, he visited New Mexico, California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Idaho.

In an Idaho detention motion, prosecutors noted that Love wore 49ers uniforms when he was arrested and later found $3,000 in cash and team uniforms, including a helmet, in an Airbnb associated with him. As stated in the motion, he stayed in Boise during attempts to defraud three more Idaho victims.

The FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bryan Chinwuba and Chris Cardani are prosecuting it. According to the FBI, there are likely many more victims, and anyone with information about Love or Chan should report it at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.