Kwamaine Jerell Ford, a 34-year-old man from Buford, Georgia, has been charged federally with multiple counts of fraud and sex trafficking for allegedly targeting NBA and NFL players in a phishing scam that escalated into identity theft and a sex trafficking operation. The charges include nine counts of wire fraud, seven counts of computer fraud, one count of access device fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count of sex trafficking, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Ford pleaded not guilty in federal court and is being held without bail pending trial. Prosecutors say the scheme began in November 2020, while Ford was incarcerated following a 2019 conviction for similar phishing-related crimes involving stolen financial data. It is unclear how many states may have been affected by Ford’s activities.
Phishing Scheme Targeted Professional Athletes
According to court documents, Ford impersonated a well-known adult film star on social media to phish login credentials from NBA and NFL players. He reportedly posed as an Apple customer service representative, spoofing legitimate Apple accounts to access the athletes’ Apple accounts. Ford used this access to retrieve financial information, which he then exploited to make unauthorized purchases.
Authorities report that Ford also coerced a female victim to engage in commercial sex acts with multiple professional athletes by falsely promising to advance her modeling career. He allegedly advertised her to athletes, arranged her travel, negotiated payments, and took a cut of the proceeds. Many of these encounters were filmed without the knowledge or consent of the athletes.
Authorities Respond to Escalating Criminal Activity
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg highlighted that Ford continued his criminal conduct despite already serving time for similar offenses. “Disturbingly, the indictment alleges Ford went further by using fraudulent online personas to traffic a young woman and coerce her to produce hidden camera videos of commercial sex acts,” Hertzberg stated.
FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Ellis emphasized the bureau’s commitment to combatting such schemes, saying Ford “allegedly escalated his criminal activity—stealing identities and money while also moving into coercion and sex trafficking.” The FBI is continuing its investigation into the case.
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