Under Texas law, presenting a forged driver’s license to a notary or filing sham company records with the state to obtain a loan is prosecuted as tampering with a governmental record, a charge that can climb from a state-jail felony to a second-degree felony depending on the intent to defraud and the amount of harm involved. That is the Texas lens for a striking federal case out of Georgia, where two men admitted using wigs, makeup, forged identification, and fabricated corporate filings to impersonate professional athletes and secure nearly $20 million in loans.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Luther Davis, 37, of Roswell, and CJ Evins, 29, of Johns Creek, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in a scheme that ran from at least May 2023 through October 2024. Prosecutors said the pair posed as managers of professional athletes, registered companies with names closely mirroring the athletes’ names, opened bank accounts for those fictitious companies, and submitted fabricated financial statements to lenders. Evins was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison, and Davis is scheduled for sentencing later this year. While this case sits in a federal court, the underlying conduct maps cleanly onto several Texas statutes, and L & L Law Group, PLLC breaks down how a defendant in Frisco or the wider DFW area would face these allegations.
What Was the NFL Impersonation Scheme?
The scheme centered on impersonating real NFL players to trick lenders into issuing high-dollar loans. Court filings describe a dozen fraudulent loans, one of them refinanced, totaling $19,845,000. Prosecutors said Davis used disguises — including wigs, makeup, and a head covering — and presented forged driver’s licenses to notaries so that multimillion-dollar loan notes appeared to be signed by the athletes themselves. The defendants also created bank statements, personal financial statements, and Secretary of State corporate documents for companies purportedly operated by the players, none of whom authorized the loans or knew their identities were being used.
How Would Texas Treat Forged IDs and Fake Filings?
In Texas, submitting a counterfeit government ID and filing false records with a state agency is charged under Section 37.10 of the Penal Code, tampering with a governmental record. A driver’s license and Secretary of State corporate filings are both governmental records, and knowingly making or presenting a false one carries escalating punishment: it is generally a Class A misdemeanor, but rises to a state-jail felony when the actor intends to defraud or harm, and to a second-degree felony when the record is a license, certificate, or similar instrument issued by government. Because a driver’s license falls squarely in that category, a Texas prosecutor would likely pursue the felony grade here.
What Other Texas Charges Could Apply?
Beyond the governmental-record charge, a Texas case built on these facts would layer in forgery under Section 32.21 — making, altering, or passing a forged writing such as a loan note or financial statement with intent to defraud, a third-degree felony when the writing is a commercial instrument. Prosecutors could also charge theft under Section 31.03, and because the loans span multiple transactions in a common scheme, Section 31.09 permits aggregating the amounts into a single higher-grade offense. With losses approaching $20 million, aggregated theft alone would reach the first-degree felony range, the most serious classification in Texas.
What Penalties Would a Frisco Defendant Face?
The exposure in a Texas courtroom would be severe. A second-degree felony tampering charge carries two to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000, while a first-degree aggregated theft charge carries five to 99 years or life. A Collin County defendant facing charges in the Frisco area could see these counts run alongside one another, and Texas judges weigh the dollar amount, the number of victims, and the sophistication of the scheme when setting punishment. Restitution to the defrauded lenders would also be a central part of any resolution.
What Defenses Might Apply in a Texas Case?
A strong defense begins with the intent element, since tampering, forgery, and theft all require the state to prove the defendant knowingly acted to defraud. Defense counsel would scrutinize whether a client understood the documents were false, whether that person was a knowing participant or a peripheral figure following instructions, and whether the loss figures were accurately calculated and properly aggregated. Challenges to how identification evidence was gathered, the reliability of the lenders’ records, and the chain of custody for digital communications can all narrow the exposure or support a negotiated resolution.
How L&L Law Group Can Help
Financial-fraud and identity cases move quickly, involve large volumes of documents, and often carry both state and potential federal exposure, which makes early legal guidance essential. L & L Law Group, PLLC represents clients across Frisco and the DFW area in fraud, forgery, identity, and white-collar matters, working to test the strength of the state’s intent evidence, challenge inflated loss calculations, and protect a client’s rights at every stage. If you or someone you know is facing an investigation or charges involving identity or financial fraud, contact L & L Law Group, PLLC to discuss your options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is using a fake ID to get a loan a felony in Texas? Yes. Presenting a forged driver’s license is tampering with a governmental record and, because a license is a government-issued instrument, it is typically charged as a second-degree felony when done with intent to defraud.
What is the difference between forgery and tampering with a governmental record? Forgery under Section 32.21 covers false writings like loan notes and financial statements, while tampering under Section 37.10 covers false government records such as licenses and state filings; a single scheme can trigger both.
Can multiple fraudulent loans be combined into one charge? Yes. Under Section 31.09, amounts obtained through theft in a continuing scheme can be aggregated, which can raise the offense to a first-degree felony when the total is large.
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