An Oregon man has been charged with federal wire fraud after prosecutors say he built an elaborate false identity as an NFL player and wealthy real estate investor to defraud more than two dozen women he met on dating apps out of roughly $1.3 million.
The alleged persona
Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, was arrested Aug. 24 at the Boise Airport in Idaho alongside 18-year-old Taylor Jamie Chan, whom investigators accuse of posing as Love’s financial adviser. Both face charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon; arrest warrants for both were issued Aug. 17.
According to the criminal complaint, Love presented himself at various points as an undrafted wide receiver who’d fought his way onto the San Francisco 49ers’ roster, filling social media accounts with photos in 49ers gear and what investigators believe was a replica team helmet. Investigators said his online presence was convincing enough that search engines and AI tools sometimes returned him as an actual 49ers player when his name was searched — a detail the complaint cites directly.
How the scheme worked
Investigators say the scheme ran from February 2022 until the day of the arrests and identified 26 alleged victims, many in Oregon, Washington and California, who met Love through dating apps and came to believe they were “romantically involved” with him and building a future together. The complaint alleges Love and Chan would FaceTime victims together, with Chan showing fabricated investment gains — in at least one case using an app called “Fake Bank Account Pro” to display a fictitious balance of more than $30 million — before telling victims he could invest their money the same way he managed Love’s. Some victims reportedly loaned Love money directly, believing he’d repay it; in some cases, the complaint alleges, Love helped victims take out personal loans to fund the supposed investments.
Once a victim ran out of money or began asking too many questions, the complaint alleges, Love cut off contact and kept what she’d sent. Investigators say electronic communications between the two men showed them mocking victims, at times in derogatory terms.
Where the case stands
Love remains in custody and is being transferred to Oregon, where the case is being prosecuted. Chan was released and is scheduled to appear in Oregon federal court Sept. 10. Neither man had an attorney of record in Oregon as of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s announcement. The San Francisco 49ers have not commented; the case has drawn attention from current and former players, including retired safety Logan Ryan, who posted a video mocking the scheme.
Wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud both carry significant potential federal prison time upon conviction. Love and Chan have been charged but not convicted, and both are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Sources: U.S. Attorney’s Office (District of Oregon), TODAY, NBC, Complex, KION.
