He told women he had gone undrafted and worked his way onto the 49ers roster. He wore the jersey on dates, kept a helmet in the trunk of his car, and posted the polished, moneyed lifestyle of a professional athlete on Instagram. None of it was real, according to a federal criminal complaint filed in Portland, Oregon.
Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, and Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, have been charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. Prosecutors say the pair defrauded at least 26 women across California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington of roughly $1.3 million between February 2022 and their arrests at Boise Airport on August 24.
Dating apps and three-way FaceTime calls
Love met most of his victims through dating apps, prosecutors say. Once a romantic relationship was in place, Chan would enter the picture as his purported financial adviser. On three-way FaceTime calls, Chan walked women through investment opportunities that did not exist, while Love used phone apps to fabricate bank and investment account screens showing balances and gains that were never there.
Some women were pushed to take out personal loans on the promise of a quick payback that never came. When the money stopped or questions started, prosecutors say, Love blocked them and kept the funds.
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According to the complaint, the scheme “relied on Love’s creation of fictitious personas and display of a lavish lifestyle,” which he presented both in person and on social media.
“That’s Google, that’s not me”
At some point during the scheme, Google’s AI Overview panel began listing Love as a 49ers wide receiver, apparently pulling from his own online activity. He turned it into marketing material by posting a screenshot of the AI result to his Instagram Story with a dismissive caption.
“That’s Google. That’s not me, that’s Google,” he reportedly wrote. The mock denial helped make the false claim look more credible.
Investigators say Love used several names during the scheme, including Jon Love, Daejon Love, Avril Lyto Love and Jordan Love. Between July 15 and his arrest, they say, he travelled through New Mexico, California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah and Idaho, meeting more potential targets.
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In federal custody in Idaho
FBI agents took Love and Chan into custody at Boise Airport on Monday, August 24, a week after warrants were issued against them in the District of Oregon. Both men remain in federal custody in Boise and made their first appearance in federal court on Thursday, August 27.
The FBI has said it believes there are more victims than the 26 already identified, and is asking anyone who thinks they were targeted to submit information at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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