“I PLAY WIDE RECEIVER FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS AND MY FINANCIAL ADVISER CAN MANAGE YOUR WEALTH”!!! BELIEVE IT OR NOT, FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SAY DAEJON LABRAYAE LOVE FABRICATED AN ENTIRE NFL CAREER WITH PROPS AND COSTUMES TO DEFRAUD 26 WOMEN OF $1.3 MILLION… AND HE HAS NOW BEEN ARRESTED AT AN AIRPORT ALONGSIDE AN 18-YEAR-OLD ALLEGED ACCOMPLICE.
Federal prosecutors allege that 35-year-old Daejon Labrayae Love stole $1.3 million from more than two dozen women while pretending to be a professional football player.
According to court documents filed in Portland, Oregon, Love allegedly posed as a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers.
Federal authorities also charged 18-year-old Taylor Jamie Chan in the alleged scheme.
Both Love and Chan face federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
Investigators allege Love constructed a fictional NFL career using social media staging, custom gear, fabricated wealth and team merchandise.
Over a span of more than four years, investigators say, he presented himself online as a professional athlete with millions of dollars in personal assets.
Federal investigators have identified 26 alleged victims across California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
Authorities have indicated that they believe additional victims may exist.
According to prosecutors, Love established romantic connections with women on popular dating platforms including Hinge, Bumble and Tinder.
He allegedly created multiple profiles on those dating applications using various names.
In addition to posing as a professional football player, Love allegedly presented himself on occasion as a wealthy Swiss real estate developer.
Once romantic relationships were established, prosecutors allege, Chan was introduced to the victims as Love’s personal financial adviser or business manager.
The two defendants allegedly used fake investment accounts, staged FaceTime conversations and falsified bank balances to convince targets of Love’s purported wealth.
In one instance from January 2024, investigators allege Love requested a screenshot from Chan that displayed an account balance of $3.4 million.
Another purported stock account shown during the scheme was fabricated to reflect a valuation of $11 million.
Love allegedly presented victims with fraudulent financial statements that included the name World Bank prior to soliciting money for nonexistent investment opportunities.
According to the United Nations website, the World Bank is not a commercial banking institution, but rather an organization focusing on poverty reduction and improving worldwide living standards through low-interest loans, grants and interest-free credits.
Federal prosecutors state that the alleged fraudulent scheme originated in February 2022.
Because federal authorities identify Chan as 18 years old today, that timeline indicates Chan would have been approximately 13 or 14 years old when the operation began.
In one early incident cited by federal investigators, Love allegedly instructed a woman he recently met online to transfer a $10,000 investment through Chan.
And investigators claim Love went to extreme lengths across multiple social media platforms to make his persona appear legitimate.
Love allegedly operated what amounted to a personal multimedia production effort to mimic an NFL athlete’s lifestyle.
In a video from late 2024 obtained by OutKick, Love was filmed appearing to sign what he presented as an official NFL contract.
When asked on camera which team he was signing with, Love stated: “Niners, you already know, Niner gang.”
In that same recording, Love claimed that he wore jersey No. 7 for the team.
That specific jersey number was famously worn in San Francisco by Colin Kaepernick and is worn by current 49ers wide receiver DeMarcus Robinson.
An affidavit filed by the FBI states that Love recorded footage of himself ostensibly signing an employment contract with the 49ers while claiming he would play at the wide receiver position.
Representatives for the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL confirmed to authorities that Love had never been employed by either organization.
Investigators reportedly traced more than $1,160 in purchases made by Love to Green Gridiron, a business that sells customized football helmets.
Love allegedly conducted athletic workouts while wearing official San Francisco gear and a football helmet, including sessions filmed on public beaches.
He uploaded football training clips and allegedly incorporated authentic NFL imagery into his online content to reinforce the story.
Love also obtained a custom 49ers-themed cake that displayed a No. 7 jersey bearing his last name.
In an Instagram Story titled “NFL Journey,” Love held a San Francisco helmet while narrating his purported path into professional sports.
During that video, Love displayed a Google search result identifying “Daejon Love” as a wide receiver for San Francisco.
“That’s Google. That’s not me, that’s Google,” Love said to his viewers.
When questions arose regarding why he was never seen playing in actual games, Love reportedly pointed to physical setbacks.
Love reportedly addressed the issue on camera by holding up an injured finger and claiming that medical issues prevented him from taking the field.
Investigators found that Love also repurposed authentic footage recorded by actual NFL players.
That recycled material included clips inside the San Francisco locker room and footage taken on the field during the Super Bowl.
Federal investigators allege that Love’s fabrications extended into numerous other aspects of his personal presentation.
Love allegedly bought social media followers, likes and video views to artificially increase his online metrics.
He also reportedly purchased realistic-looking prop currency to display in photos and videos.
Love recorded videos of himself signing autographs for nonexistent fans on printed screenshots taken from his own workout clips.
He publicly claimed to have a corporate sponsorship deal with athletic apparel company Fabletics.
According to an individual who encountered him, Love rented high-end Airbnb properties, claimed the residences were his personal homes and furnished them with empty Louis Vuitton luggage bags.
That same person reported that Love had a bodyguard conduct physical pat-downs on guests visiting the properties.
Yet one encounter on a beach highlighted how the public perceived his persona.
A woman who saw Love training on a beach in his 49ers helmet posed for a photograph with him and sent the image to her grandson, who follows the team.
The grandson did not recognize the supposed player and told his grandmother to return and ask for his name.
By the time she attempted to inquire further, Love had already departed the scene in a Honda Civic.
On Aug. 24, federal law enforcement agents arrested Love and Chan at the Boise Airport in Idaho.
Prosecutors stated that Love was wearing San Francisco 49ers clothing at the exact time FBI agents took him into custody.
Investigators later searched an Airbnb rental property associated with Love and seized additional San Francisco gear, including a football helmet.
The charges are allegations and have not been proven in court.
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