U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick on Thursday sentenced Calvin Darden Jr., who defrauded former NBA All-Star Dwight Howard and Howard’s former Houston Rockets teammate Chandler Parsons out of about $8 million, to 151 months (12 years, 7 months) in prison.
Darden was also ordered to forfeit $8 million and relinquish possession of luxury items, including a Lamborghini, a Rolls-Royce and a piece of artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat valued at $600,000. Darden purchased those and other items with money he took from Howard and Parsons.
Prosecutors had recommended that Darden face as many as 14 years in prison. They described him as a “lifelong fraudster” whose rap sheet includes crimes related to tricking clients while he worked as a financial advisor for investment firms. Prosecutors also emphasize that Darden went so far as to impersonate his own father to further the fraud. Darden also violated conditions of his bail, including by claiming he was going to the dentist when his GPA monitor showed he was trying to buy a house.
The U.S. Probation Office recommended a little over 10 years in prison as appropriate. It emphasized that Darden’s criminal acts were multifaceted and deliberate, such as use of a fraudulent pitch deck and transferring money between banks. The Probation Office also underscored that $8 million is a sizable theft and thus warrants a stiffer punishment.
Darden misled Howard into believing he was buying the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream when his $7 million was instead being rerouted through multiple banks into a shell company, with Darden using the money to buy luxury items including expensive cars and real estate. Darden deceived Parsons by convincing him he was loaning $1 million to then-NBA prospect James Wiseman, when in reality there was no loan.
Darden’s attorneys argued nine years in prison was fitting. Those attorneys stressed that Darden, 50, suffers from significant health problems, has three children and cares for his elderly parents. His attorneys also highlighted their client hasn’t been a member of a gang or engaged in any violent conduct. But prosecutors maintained some of those reasons were red herrings. For instance, Darden’s criminal acts have been of the financial kind, which can be committed by adults of all ages—financial fraudsters don’t necessarily “age out” of that kind of crime.
In a statement, acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Calvin Darden, Jr., stole millions of dollars from former NBA players and used the money to buy a mansion, a fleet of luxury cars, and expensive artwork. This conviction—his third—and sentence make clear that severe consequences await those who take advantage of others by fraud.”
