Sports
Former Dolphins player Reshad Jones awarded settlement in fraud case
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Reshad Jones, who spent nine seasons with the Miami Dolphins, settled his lawsuit against financial services Merrill Lynch.
The former NFL safety was awarded $9.5 million after alleging a former financial advisor at the company defrauded him for an estimated $2.6 million. The settlement was agreed upon in August, but public reporting on the case was not made available until this week.
According to a June 25 arrest report, Isaiah Williams — Jones’ former financial adviser and a former employee of Merrill Lynch — used his position to gain access to Jones’ personal financial accounts to steal $1.56 million in 133 separate transactions. Another $1.03 million was stolen through a complicated laundering scheme involving bank and cash app transfers between Williams and a Georgia-based woman, Octivia Monique Graham. Jones told investigators he had never met the woman.
The settlement with Merrill Lynch took place in August but began receiving pickup this week, when Investment News reported on it. Jones, who played 10 NFL seasons—all with Miami—originally sought $16 million in damages in his complaint, filed with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), a private organization that oversees brokerage firms and is supervised by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Reshad Jones (20) of the Miami Dolphins prior to the game against the Tennessee Titans at Hard Rock Stadium on Sept. 9, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Mark Brown/Getty Images)
The two-time Pro Bowler accused his former financial advisor, Isaiah Thomas Williams Jr., of defrauding him. Without admitting or denying the allegations, Thomas voluntarily resigned from Merrill Lynch in December, according to FINRA records. Thomas is now prohibited from acting as a broker “or otherwise associating with a broker-dealer firm,” according to FINRA, which says he did not cooperate with its investigation into the situation.
EX-NFL STAR JAY CUTLER FACES LAWSUIT OVER DUI CRASH THAT LED TO JAIL SENTENCE
Williams’s headaches did not begin and end with the FINRA complaint. He was also arrested in Florida in June, and charged with grand theft, fraud, and money laundering, according to Broward County criminal court records. Those records also show he was released in July on a $1 million bond.
Miami Dolphins free safety Reshad Jones (20) celebrates a victory against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Oct. 15, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports)
Williams allegedly stole the total of almost $2.6 million through 133 separate transactions, and with another individual, Octavia Graham, who was also charged in Broward County, court records show. Williams allegedly used the money for personal expenses, including strip clubs and airline tickets.
In July, attorneys for Jones—Chase Carlson of Carlson Law and Jeff Sonn of Sonn Law—issued a statement calling the case “yet another troubling example of a professional athlete being exploited by a wealth management firm he trusted.”
Reshad Jones (20) of the Miami Dolphins in action against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium on Dec. 23, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Mark Brown/Getty Images)
“In this case, the wrongdoer was a Vice President at one of the world’s largest financial institutions—Bank of America’s investment management division, Merrill Lynch,” they said. The attorneys did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Jones, who last played in the NFL in 2019, is not nearly the first athlete to be defrauded by their financial advisor. Former Bulls forward Toni Kukoc is currently suing his former friend and financial advisor in Illinois for allegedly helping a Swiss bank embezzle more than $11 million from him over the course of multiple years. Ex-Spurs star Tim Duncan was also famously swindled out of millions of dollars by his former financial advisor in 2016.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“It’s all too common for athletes to hand over the keys to their kingdom to a financial advisor,” Kelly Richmond Pope, a professor of forensic accounting, told Front Office Sports earlier this year.
She cautioned athletes: “Beware of anyone who tells you ‘I have everything covered, don’t worry.’”
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Twenty men have been charged in a point-shaving scheme involving more than 39 college basketball players on more than 17 NCAA Division I teams, leading to more than 29 games being fixed, according to a federal indictment unsealed Thursday in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Fifteen of the defendants played college basketball during the 2023-24 and/or 2024-25 seasons, according to the indictment. Some have played this season. Two of the players named in the indictment, Cedquavious Hunter and Dyquavian Short, were sanctioned in November by the NCAA for fixing New Orleans games.
At least two of the defendants, Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley, were also charged in a federal indictment in the Eastern District of New York centered on gambling schemes in the NBA.
Former NBA player Antonio Blakeney was named but not charged in the indictment. The indictment describes Blakeney as being “charged elsewhere.”
The scheme, according to the indictment, began around September 2022 and initially was focused on fixing games in the Chinese Basketball Association. The group later targeted college basketball games, offering bribes to college players ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 to compromise games for betting purposes, according to the indictment.
“In placing these wagers on games they had fixed, the defendants defrauded sportsbooks, as well as individual sports bettors, who were all unaware that the defendants had corruptly manipulated the outcome of these games that should have been decided fairly, based on genuine competition and the best efforts of the players,” the indictment said.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
USAA on Thursday announced the three finalists for the NFL’s Salute to Service Award, and a dynasty in San Francisco could be on the rise.
After 49ers star George Kittle took home the award last year, Christian McCaffrey is among three finalists for the league’s award, along with Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson and Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones as the finalists — Jones was a finalist last year, as well.
“The finalists for the 15th Annual Salute to Service Award presented by USAA have used their platforms to be exceptional advocates for the military community, reminding us that service doesn’t stop when the uniform comes off,” Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Bob Whittle, Senior Vice President and Head of Military Affairs at USAA, said in a release.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Christian McCaffrey, Jake Ferguson and Aaron Jones are this year’s Salute to Service Award finalists. (, G Fiume, and John Fisher/Getty Images)
“The NFL and USAA applaud Jake Ferguson, Aaron Jones, and Christian McCaffrey as deserving finalists who have demonstrated exactly what the award stands for — using the power of football to connect with, empower, appreciate and uplift our service members, veterans and their families.”
McCaffrey launched 23 and Troops in 2021 to focus on post-traumatic stress and athlete-level care for veterans. The foundation has raised $700,000 for military support and paid off holiday layaway for 515 military families.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) celebrates his touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Santa Clara, California. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Ferguson has partnered with USAA to visit local military bases and supported the National Medal of Honor Museum, including an event in 2024 in which 900 students joined in person and thousands more virtually.
Jones grew up in a military household. His father, Alvin, served 29 years in the Army, while his mother, Vurgess, served for 27. Jones’ older brother, Xavier, serves in the Air Force. Jones and his twin brother, Alvin Jr., founded the A&A All the Way Foundation in 2020 to support the youth of military families.
The winner will be announced at NFL Honors in San Francisco on Feb. 5, the same night the MVP, Offensive and Defensive Players and Rookies, and Coach of the Year will be crowned.
George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown with Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter in the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium on Dec. 10, 2023, in Santa Clara, California. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Whittle and Kittle will be among those on the judging panel for the award.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Monday night’s game featuring hometown Miami and championship-starved Indiana is one of the toughest tickets in sports.
Source link
Xreal files patent suit against rival smart glasses maker Viture
Princess Kate crowned England’s Great with fiery Lioness spirit
Soshiotsuki wows with international debut at Pitti Uomo 109
-
Politics1 week agoUK says provided assistance in US-led tanker seizure
-
Entertainment1 week agoDoes new US food pyramid put too much steak on your plate?
-
Entertainment1 week agoWhy did Nick Reiner’s lawyer Alan Jackson withdraw from case?
-
Business1 week agoTrump moves to ban home purchases by institutional investors
-
Sports5 days agoClock is ticking for Frank at Spurs, with dwindling evidence he deserves extra time
-
Sports1 week agoPGA of America CEO steps down after one year to take care of mother and mother-in-law
-
Business1 week agoBulls dominate as KSE-100 breaks past 186,000 mark – SUCH TV
-
Sports6 days ago
Commanders go young, promote David Blough to be offensive coordinator