Federal prosecutors charge two men over 1.3 million dollar fake 49ers romance scam

Multi-state investigation and Boise arrests

Federal authorities in the District of Oregon have charged 35-year-old Daejon Labrayae Love and 18-year-old Taylor Jamie Chan with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Special agents with the FBI arrested both defendants on 24 August 2026 in Boise, Idaho, where both men remain in federal custody. Court documents state that the operation extended across four western states, targeting victims located in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Investigators have identified 26 women who lost a combined total of approximately 1.3 million dollars. Prosecutors and the FBI indicated that the actual number of victims is likely higher as additional accounts and transactions undergo review.

Construction of the fake NFL persona

Court filings detail that the fraudulent scheme commenced in February 2022 and ran for more than four years until the August 2026 arrests. Love met women through various dating applications, introducing himself as an undrafted wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. To reinforce the athletic background, Love curated social media profiles, including an Instagram account that has since been deleted. On these platforms, he published photographs and video recordings showing himself wearing official 49ers team apparel, completing football practice drills, and traveling. Love explained his absence from active NFL match rosters by claiming he was sidelined due to a football injury. Throughout the operation, Love cycled through several aliases, presenting himself under the names Jon Love, Daejon Love, Avril Lyto Love, and Jordan Love.

Deceptive investment pitches and video calls

Once Love cultivated personal relationships and gained the trust of the women, he introduced purported commercial opportunities, claiming he was an accomplished private investor. Chan allegedly operated as Love's personal investment adviser, reinforcing claims that Chan had helped Love accumulate a personal fortune evaluated in the tens of millions of dollars. To validate the claims, Love and Chan conducted three-way FaceTime calls with victims, displaying manipulated screenshots and falsified account balances to present fabricated investment returns.

Love convinced many of the victims they were in sincere romantic relationships, that he was a sophisticated investor, and that Chan was his investment adviser who helped Love grow a fortune worth tens of millions of dollars.

Coerced bank loans and cutoff of communications

The defendants encouraged victims to transfer money under the assumption that their capital was being deposited into legitimate, high-yielding investment funds. When targeted individuals exhausted their available cash or lacked liquid capital, Love directed them to apply for personal bank loans, assuring them that the funds would be repaid promptly. None of the women interviewed by federal investigators received repayments for the personal loans or any financial return on their invested funds. When victims depleted their financial resources, could no longer obtain financing, or began asking detailed questions regarding their balances, Love severed contact and blocked communications.

Love had romantic relationships with many of the victims and told them he wanted to build wealth and a future together. Love advertised nonexistent investment vehicles and claimed these investments would generate massive returns for both him and his victims.