Calvin Darden Jr. is an Atlanta businessman sentenced in April 2025 to more than twelve years in federal prison for defrauding former NBA players Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons out of a combined $8 million. He told Howard his money would buy the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream and told Parsons his money would fund a loan to a top draft prospect. Neither story was true, and it was the third fraud conviction of Darden’s career.
The $7 Million Atlanta Dream Scheme
Darden convinced Howard, an eight-time NBA All-Star, that $7 million would go toward purchasing the Atlanta Dream. He showed Howard a “Vision Plan” that falsely claimed Tyler Perry, Issa Rae, Naomi Osaka, Aflac, and Starbucks had agreed to sponsor or advise the team. None of them knew anything about it.1U.S. Department of Justice. Atlanta Businessman Convicted of Defrauding Former NBA Players Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons
Howard’s own agent, Charles Briscoe, was in on it. Briscoe helped route the money to a shell company Darden controlled.2Sportico. Dwight Howard WNBA Swindler Prison Not a dollar went toward buying the team. Darden spent the money on a $3.7 million Atlanta mansion, a Rolls-Royce, a Lamborghini, a Porsche, Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings, and an $11,000 outdoor television.3New York Magazine. How to Scam Your Dad
Howard found out in 2021, when ESPN reported that the Dream had been sold to a different investor group led by real estate executive Larry Gottesdiener and including former Dream player Renee Montgomery. The WNBA and NBA Boards of Governors had approved that sale on February 26, 2021.4NBA. Atlanta Dream Sale Approved Asked at trial what he got for his $7 million, Howard said he got “a slap in the face.”5NBC Los Angeles. Dwight Howard Atlanta Dream Scam
The James Wiseman Loan Scheme
Darden and Briscoe ran a second scheme at the same time, this one aimed at former NBA forward Chandler Parsons. They told Parsons his $1 million would be loaned to James Wiseman, who was then a top draft prospect, and backed the pitch with a forged contract showing Wiseman had signed with Briscoe’s agency. They had never met Wiseman. No money ever went to him.6U.S. Department of Justice. Atlanta Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Defrauding Former NBA Players
Parsons wired $1 million to Briscoe. Briscoe forwarded $544,000 to Darden.2Sportico. Dwight Howard WNBA Swindler Prison Darden spent his share on a Mercedes and watches.6U.S. Department of Justice. Atlanta Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Defrauding Former NBA Players
The Trial and 151-Month Sentence
Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York charged Darden in a five-count superseding indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.7Leagle. United States v. Darden, No. S3 23 Cr. 134 (VSB) Prosecutors said he turned down two plea offers before trial. After an eleven-day trial before U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, a Manhattan jury deliberated about five hours and convicted him on all five counts on October 7, 2024.8ABC News. Georgia Man Guilty of Cheating NBA Players Howard and Parsons
On April 3, 2025, Judge Broderick sentenced Darden to 151 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. The court ordered him to forfeit $8 million and pay $8 million in restitution. The forfeiture specifically covered a Lamborghini, a Rolls-Royce, $600,000 in Basquiat artwork, and the Atlanta mansion.6U.S. Department of Justice. Atlanta Man Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Defrauding Former NBA Players
Darden was not in the courtroom. He had suffered a concussion the previous week in custody, waived his right to attend, and was sentenced in his absence.9Courthouse News Service. Businessman Who Scammed Ex-NBA Star Dwight Howard in Fake Bid for WNBA Team Gets 12 Years in Prison
What Happened to the Co-Conspirator
Charles Briscoe, the agent who sat on Howard’s side of both deals, pleaded guilty in 2023 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was sentenced in late 2024 to three months of home detention and three years of supervised release on one count of wire fraud, a small fraction of what Darden received.8ABC News. Georgia Man Guilty of Cheating NBA Players Howard and Parsons
A Pattern Going Back Twenty Years
Darden had been convicted of fraud twice before. His method rarely changed: borrow his father’s name, forge documents, and spend the money on luxuries.
His father, Calvin Darden Sr., rose from the UPS loading dock to senior vice president and served on the boards of Coca-Cola and Target, becoming a multimillionaire when UPS went public in 1999. Darden Jr., a Howard University graduate who worked as a broker at Salomon Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and Wachovia in the early 2000s, has traded on that reputation for access throughout his career.10New York Magazine. Calvin Darden Jr. Celebrity Fraud
In December 2004, the Manhattan district attorney indicted him on charges of stealing $4.1 million from former employers, including Smith Barney, Wachovia, and AIC Ltd., along with an 87-year-old woman. Earlier victims reportedly included NBA players as well: Nelly, who allegedly invested $950,000 in 2003, and Latrell Sprewell, who reportedly invested $300,000. The money was never returned. Darden used proceeds to buy a Glen Cove, New York, home with a $210,000 shark aquarium and a private movie theater.11The New York Times. Catch Him if You Can He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four to twelve years in state prison with nearly $6 million in restitution.12USA Today. Feds: NYer Impersonated Dad in Maxim Magazine Bid
In 2014, the FBI arrested him again. This time he had defrauded lenders of more than $8 million in a scheme to finance the purchase of Maxim magazine, fabricating bank statements, forging his father’s signature, impersonating him on calls and in emails, and paying a Russian spoofing service to send a fake email that released roughly $4.9 million from escrow. In a separate scheme, a Taiwanese company paid him $500,000 on his false claim that he could arrange a New York Knicks exhibition game in Asia.13FBI. Staten Island Man Charged in Manhattan Federal Court in Multi-Million Dollar Scheme Related to Purchase of Maxim Magazine After cooperating with the government, Darden received a one-year federal sentence instead of a potential twenty-year maximum.14SILive.com. Report: Island Man to a Year in Prison
At the 2025 sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Meade told the court Darden “had not learned his lesson since the case in 2016.”15Courthouse News Service. Businessman Convicted of Cheating Ex-NBA Star Dwight Howard Out of Millions in Scam to Buy WNBA Team Howard, asked at trial why he never looked into Darden’s background, said: “Nobody told me he was a felon.”3New York Magazine. How to Scam Your Dad
The Appeal
Darden is appealing his conviction. The clerk of the Southern District of New York filed a notice of appeal on his behalf on April 28, 2025. In June 2025, the court let him proceed without paying filing fees and authorized the appointment of appellate counsel under the Criminal Justice Act for his case in the Second Circuit.16CourtListener. United States v. Cohen, 1:23-cr-00134 Docket – Recent Entries