Woman Admits To Stealing Identity Of NBA Player To Take Out $2.5 Million Loan

BYErika Marie2.9K Views
Link Copied to Clipboard!
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
NBA
She's facing 20 years in prison.

A woman almost had a million-dollar come-up after she stole the identity of an NBA player. Annie M. Ford of Georgia recently admitted in court that she lifted the identity of a basketball player and attempted to obtain a $2.5 million loan back in 2013. While the Department of Justice didn't name the NBA baller in their public report other than he was a resident of New Jersey at the time of the nefarious scheme, they did share details of how the 51-year-old went about her scam.

Gray Mortimore/Getty Images

In the Fall of 2013, Ford reportedly contacted a New York lending company to get the multi-million dollar loan and used fake documents she created with the NBA player's name. She had a partner in the scam who acted as her "attorney" while also reportedly pretending to be the NBA player during phone calls with the lender. Ford forged the baller's signatures on submitted documents and the money was to be deposited in Ford's bank account.

She has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. For the wire charge alone she's looking at upwards of 20 years in prison with a possible 250K fine tacked on or "twice the gross gain or loss from the offense." As for the identity theft charge is concerned, Ford could receive two years behind bars.

It'll be a few months before Ford will know just how long she'll be in prison because the sentencing phase of her case won't happen until March 2020. The real question is: Who was the player?


About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.
...