Federal authorities arrested two men on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, for allegedly defrauding 26 women of approximately $1.3 million by posing as a professional athlete and a wealthy investor. Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, and Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, were taken into custody at the Boise Airport in Idaho and face charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon alleges that from February 2022 until their arrest, the pair used dating apps and social media to establish romantic relationships with women across California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Prosecutors stated that Love portrayed himself as a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers and a successful real estate investor to gain the trust of victims.
According to federal investigators, Love used Instagram to showcase a lavish lifestyle, including claims of owning high-end vehicles like a McLaren and a Lamborghini Urus. During the alleged scheme, Chan posed as Love's financial adviser. The FBI reports the two conducted three-way FaceTime calls with victims, showing them falsified investment gains to encourage them to transfer funds. Love also allegedly instructed women who lacked ready cash to take out personal loans, promising they would be quickly repaid.
One woman, Ayana Velasquez, reported meeting Love through a dating app in 2021 under the name "Jonathan." She stated that she became skeptical of his claims, which included his family being "one of the richest in Switzerland," and eventually blocked him after discovering that footage he sent of himself at Levi’s Stadium appeared to be screen-recorded. A search of the 49ers official roster would have shown that Love was not a member of the team, according to Velasquez.
The scale of the alleged fraud highlights risks targeted at users of dating applications and social media platforms. By utilizing digital evidence—such as screen-recorded videos of NFL facilities and manipulated search engine summaries—the defendants allegedly bypassed skepticism.
Next steps in the legal process include a court appearance for both defendants scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Portland, Oregon. The FBI indicated that while 26 victims have been identified so far, they believe additional individuals may have been targeted. The New York Post reported that Love suffered a loss in a recent court hearing, and TMZ reported that at least two women had filed civil lawsuits over unpaid loans prior to his federal arrest. As of late August, it was not immediately clear if Love or Chan had retained legal counsel.