A 29-year-old Johns Creek man will spend six years in federal prison for his role in a scheme that used wigs, makeup and fake IDs to impersonate NFL players and secure nearly $20 million in fraudulent loans.

U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg sentenced CJ Evins on Wednesday, Aug. 5, to 72 months without the possibility of parole in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, according to ESPN. Evins had pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Prosecutors say Evins and co-defendant Luther Davis, 37, a former Alabama defensive tackle, ran the operation from approximately May 2023 through October 2024. The pair obtained 12 fraudulent loans and one refinanced loan totaling $19,845,000 by posing as NFL players during virtual loan closings.

The athletes impersonated included Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., NFL tight end David Njoku and safety Xavier McKinney. None of the players authorized the loans or had any knowledge of the scheme.

Davis dressed up for the video calls using forged driver's licenses, wigs and makeup. In one July 2024 closing in Georgia, he impersonated Penix wearing a durag-style head covering and carrying a fake Florida license. In another, he wore a wig to mimic McKinney's locks while executing a $4.375 million promissory note.

The sentence sends a message, U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said, to anyone who would consider impersonating someone "whether Pro or Joe" to commit fraud. Hertzberg said in April, when announcing the guilty pleas, that the pair convinced lenders they were NFL players, obtained millions in fraudulent loans and spent the proceeds on real estate, jewelry and cars.

Evins' attorney, Ben Alper, described Davis as "the mastermind and primary instigator" of the plan in a presentencing filing and said Evins began working with Davis as his intern. Evins received one year less than federal sentencing guidelines called for, but more than his lawyer had sought.

Cooperation didn't help. After learning of the federal investigation, Evins attempted to work with law enforcement as part of his plea agreement, though the court was not swayed toward a lighter sentence.

Davis, identified as a Roswell resident by Patch, is scheduled to be sentenced in Georgia federal court on Oct. 29.