Article content NEW YORK — A Georgia businessman was convicted Friday of cheating former NBA stars Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons of $8 million after a trial in Manhattan federal court. The jury returned its verdict against Calvin Darden Jr. eight years after Darden was sentenced to a year in prison for impersonating his successful father in a failed bid to buy Maxim magazine.
In that case, Darden got leniency by cooperating with prosecutors against others charged in the case. This time, though, Darden turned down two offers by the government to plead guilty and went to trial. Howard — an eight-time All Star, three-time defensive player of the year and one of the NBA’s most dominant centers during the prime of his 18-year professional career — testified during the trial that he was defrauded of $7 million.
He played for seven franchises, most notably the Orlando Magic — who took him with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2004 draft — and the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won his lone NBA title during the pandemic-affected 2019-20 season. During his testimony, Howard said Darden fooled him into giving him $7 million by convincing him that it was an investment toward the purchase of a women’s basketball franchise.
When a prosecutor asked him if he got anything in return for his $7 million, Howard testified that he got “a slap in the face.” Prosecutors said Darden teamed up with a sports agent to fool Parsons into sending $1 million that was supposed to aid.
