ST. LOUIS — A Lake St. Louis man was sentenced to prison on Thursday for scheming to defraud an NFL player.
Abayomi Martin, 43, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $261,194.71 after he pleaded guilty in March to one count of wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud and obtain money from current Dallas Cowboys player Brandon Carr.
According to a release from the Office of the United States Attorney Eastern District of Missouri, Martin owned and operated a company known as NUCO Group Holdings.
Martin solicited an investment from Brandon Carr and Carr’s business manager for a purported part ownership in a separate clothing company known as Famous Nobodys.
The release said Martin falsely represented to Carr and his business manager that he had an ownership interest in Famous Nobodys and Carr’s investment in NUCO Group Holdings would provide Carr a 17.5% ownership interest in NUCO, which would own and operate Famous Nobodys.
In September 2016, Martin presented Carr with what appeared to be a legitimate operating agreement for Carr's ownership interest and NUCO'S interest in Famous Nobodys. Carr then wired $250,000 to Martin for the purpose of owning as an equity holder and operating Famous Nobodys.
The true owner of Famous Nobodys never knew of the agreement by Martin and never recieved any of Carr's investment money and never and never agreed to turn over any ownership interest in Famous Nobodys to Martin or NUCO.
Officials said Martin used the funds from Carr for his owner personal use and to pay expenses and training costs of several professional boxers in Las Vegas.
Martin continued the fraud by sending Carr and Carr’s business manager false, fraudulent email communications, and text messages purporting to update them on Carr’s purported investment in Famous Nobodys.
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