“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.
