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Former NBA star Dwight Howard testified before a Manhattan federal jury on Thursday, accusing an Atlanta businessman of tricking him into investing $7 million under false pretenses. Howard, an eight-time NBA All-Star, claimed he was duped into believing the money would be used to purchase a women's basketball franchise, only to discover that it was spent on the businessman's personal expenses.

NBA Star Duped By Ga Businessman : Investment Gone Wrong

Howard recounted how his former agent, Charles Briscoe, introduced him to Calvin Darden Jr. in 2020. Howard said he trusted Briscoe's introduction and believed Darden's claims about facilitating a purchase of the Atlanta Dream, a WNBA team. "I wanted to purchase a WNBA team," Howard told the jury, referring to the Dream, which was reportedly for sale at the time.

However, Howard soon realized he had been misled. "I got a slap in the face," he told the jury when asked what he received for his $7 million investment. Darden Jr. allegedly used the funds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including the purchase of a $3.7 million Atlanta mansion, a koi pond, art, and a Rolls-Royce.

Fraud Allegations Against Darden Jr.

Darden Jr., who previously pled guilty in an unrelated fraud case in 2014, is accused of conspiring to defraud Howard. Prosecutors allege that Darden presented Howard with fake documents and invoked the names of prominent figures, including NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson, filmmaker Tyler Perry, and actress Issa Rae, to make the investment opportunity appear legitimate. Rae briefly testified on Wednesday, stating she had never met Darden Jr. and did not give permission to use her name.

"I felt like he was the head guy," Howard said, referring to Darden's father, a well-known corporate executive, whom Howard mistakenly believed was also involved in the deal. According to prosecutors, Darden Jr. leveraged his father’s name and reputation to gain Howard’s trust.

NBA Star Duped By Ga Businessman : Cross-Examination and Defense Strategy

During cross-examination, Darden’s defense lawyer, Xavier Donaldson, sought to shift the blame onto Briscoe, emphasizing that most of Howard's dealings regarding the purchase were with his former agent, not Darden Jr. Howard admitted that he had relied heavily on Briscoe for information about the deal. "All my information came from Charles," Howard said.

Defense attorneys also highlighted that Howard had personally reached out to former Coca-Cola executive John Brock, who had a partial ownership stake in the Atlanta Dream, to explore the potential purchase. However, Howard ultimately pursued the acquisition through Briscoe, after learning he would not be eligible to buy the team directly due to his NBA affiliation.

Discovery of the Fraud

Howard testified that he discovered the fraud in 2021 while watching ESPN and noticing on the ticker that the Atlanta Dream had been sold to another group. "I was really upset. There was a lot of anger. I was hurt," Howard said. He confronted Briscoe, telling him, "If I don't get my money back, I'm gonna come get you."

Legal Representation and Next Steps

Darden Jr. is represented by attorneys Xavier Donaldson and Anthony Ricco. The government’s case is being prosecuted by Kevin Mead, William Kinder, and Brandon Thompson of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.