Federal prosecutors allege Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, posed as a San Francisco 49ers player and wealthy real-estate investor while defrauding 26 women of approximately $1.3 million. Love and Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, were arrested at Boise Airport on Aug. 24, 2026, and charged in Portland, Oregon, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced the charges.
Was Daejon Love really a San Francisco 49ers player? No. Love does not appear on the 49ers’ official roster, and prosecutors allege he falsely used a 49ers player identity as part of a romance-and-investment scheme.
The alleged Love scam began in February 2022 and continued until the 2026 August arrests. Prosecutors say the alleged victims were women in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California. The FBI has identified 26 alleged victims and believes more may exist. Federal authorities said the defendants were taken into custody after Chan traveled from California to meet Love in Boise.
A criminal complaint is a formal federal accusation. It begins a criminal case, but it is not a conviction. Love and Chan are presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove the charges in court.
Last updated: Aug. 31, 2026
Federal prosecutors filed the criminal complaint and obtained arrest warrants for Love and Chan on Aug. 17 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. The FBI and other law-enforcement agencies arrested both men at Boise Airport on Aug. 24. The Justice Department said Chan flew from California to meet Love in Boise before the arrests.
The DOJ said both defendants were in federal custody in Boise and scheduled to make their initial appearance there on Aug. 27. As of Aug. 31, no independently verified public report located for this article confirmed the outcome of that hearing or a detention or release decision. No such report confirmed an indictment, a plea, defense counsel, or a future hearing date. News reports published after the arrests also identified both defendants as being in federal custody in Boise.
| Question | What Prosecutors Allege Or Public Reporting Confirms |
| Who is Daejon Love? | A 35-year-old defendant charged in a federal fraud case filed in Oregon |
| Was he a 49ers player? | No; he is not listed on the San Francisco 49ers’ official roster |
| What is he accused of doing? | Posing as a 49ers player or wealthy investor while soliciting money through alleged romance-and-investment fraud |
| How much money was involved? | Approximately $1.3 million |
| How many women were affected? | Twenty-six identified women; the FBI believes more potential victims may exist |
| Where did the alleged scheme occur? | Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California |
| Who is Taylor Jamie Chan? | An 18-year-old co-defendant accused of posing as Love’s investment adviser |
| What charges do they face? | Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud |
| When were they arrested? | Aug. 24, 2026, at Boise Airport |
| Where is the case filed? | U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon |
| What aliases did Love allegedly use? | Jon Love, Daejon Love, Avril Lyto Love, and Jordan Love |
The alleged identities are important because potential victims or witnesses may only know Love through an alias. The Justice Department listed the names prosecutors say Love used in connection with the alleged scheme.
The federal allegations describe a romance-and-investment scheme that involved far more than a false claim about playing football.
Prosecutors say Love met most of the women through Internet dating apps. Love allegedly persuaded many victims that the relationships were sincere, then promised that he wanted to build a future and wealth with them.
The financial pitch allegedly followed the relationship building.
Love allegedly presented himself as a sophisticated investor who had amassed a fortune worth tens of millions of dollars. Prosecutors say he alternatively claimed to be a San Francisco 49ers player or a wealthy real-estate investor. Each alleged identity could make his lifestyle and access to capital look believable.
The supposed investment opportunities did not exist, according to the government.
Victims allegedly sent money believing it would be invested for their benefit. Prosecutors say some women also made large personal loans to Love. When women did not have available cash, he allegedly instructed some of them to obtain personal loans and promised repayment within a short period.
According to the DOJ’s description of the alleged scheme, none of the identified and interviewed victims said they received investment proceeds or repayment of their principal. The victims also said they did not receive information identifying where the purported investments were held.
The complaint also alleges Love blocked women when they had no more money to invest or began asking too many questions.
The alleged fake 49ers player claim was only one part of the story. Prosecutors say Love and Chan also created a system of apparent financial proof.
The Justice Department alleges Love used phone applications to create fictitious bank accounts, investment accounts, and account balances. Prosecutors say he showed the fabricated account displays to women as proof that their money was invested and gaining value. The U.S. Attorney’s Office described the alleged use of fictitious financial accounts and balances.
Chan allegedly supplied another layer of credibility by posing as Love’s investment adviser.
Prosecutors say the two men exchanged electronic messages that appeared to show Chan encouraging Love to invest in particular opportunities. Love then allegedly forwarded screenshots of those conversations to victims, creating the impression that a financial professional endorsed the plan.
The government also alleges the pair held three-way FaceTime calls with victims. Prosecutors say Love and Chan displayed falsified investment gains during those calls and encouraged women to send more money.
The claimed 49ers identity allegedly made the wider story easier to accept. A supposed NFL player can seem likely to have money, travel often, live privately, wear expensive clothing, and know financial professionals. The federal allegations say Love displayed a lavish lifestyle in person and on social media while portraying himself as wealthy.
A digital account display is not independent proof that money exists. A screenshot is not proof that an account is real. A video call is not proof that a named financial professional is licensed, that an investment firm holds the money, or that any promised return is legitimate.
No. Love was not a San Francisco 49ers player.
The team’s official player roster does not list him. The NFL player directory is another public resource for checking current and past NFL player claims.
The San Francisco 49ers are not accused of involvement in the alleged fraud. No current or former player, coach, executive, or employee is identified by prosecutors as a participant in the case.
That clarification matters because this is not a scandal involving the franchise. The government’s allegation is that Love misappropriated the team’s credibility to strengthen his own claimed identity.
A real professional football player has a public record that is difficult to fake for long. Official roster listings, game logs, team announcements, player biographies, transactions, statistics, media coverage, and broadcast records provide a clear professional trail.
A jersey is merchandise. A roster is verification.
Love and Chan face allegations of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.
A wire-fraud charge generally alleges a scheme to obtain money or property through material falsehoods that use interstate communications. Those communications can include phone calls, electronic messages, dating platforms, video calls, or electronic money transfers.
A conspiracy charge alleges that two or more people agreed to commit an unlawful act and took steps toward carrying it out. In this case, prosecutors allege Love and Chan worked together to create false investments, mislead victims, and obtain money.
The government would have to prove every required element beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The defendants may challenge the complaint, evidence, or legal theory. Prosecutors may later seek an indictment from a grand jury, while the case could also involve detention hearings, plea negotiations, additional charges, dismissal, or trial.
The Justice Department says Love traveled through New Mexico, California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Idaho from July 15 through Aug. 24, 2026. Investigators say he was in Idaho to meet new potential victims before the Boise Airport arrests. The DOJ release provides the public timeline for the alleged travel and arrests.
The San Francisco 49ers are not accused of wrongdoing, and the team did not create the alleged scam. Federal prosecutors instead allege that Daejon Love used the credibility attached to an NFL identity as part of a larger pitch. The alleged pitch involved romantic relationships, false claims of wealth, fictitious investments, and manufactured financial evidence. The FBI believes additional victims may exist.
A claimed athlete identity should be easy to verify. An investment pitch should be checked even more carefully. Use the official roster, independently confirm any financial professional, and verify where the money would actually be held. A team jersey, a flashy profile, a screenshot, and a personal promise are not evidence.
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