Businessman who scammed ex-NBA star Dwight Howard in fake bid for WNBA team gets 12 years in prison

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Businessman who scammed ex-NBA star Dwight Howard in fake bid for WNBA team gets 12 years in prison

2025-04-04 06:56 Last Updated At：07:02

NEW YORK (AP) — A Georgia businessman who scammed former NBA players Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons out of millions of dollars was sentenced Thursday to more than 12 years in federal prison.

A Manhattan jury in October convicted Calvin Darden Jr. of cheating Howard — who had been one of the NBA’s most dominant players in his prime — out of $7 million in a bogus scheme to buy the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.

The 50-year-old Atlanta resident was also found guilty of bilking $1 million from former NBA forward Chandler Parsons in a separate ruse involving the development of then-NBA prospect James Wiseman.

A Manhattan federal court judge on Thursday ordered Darden to forfeit $8 million, as well as several luxury items he acquired with the ill-gotten gains, including a $3.7 million Atlanta mansion, $600,000 in artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat, a Lamborghini and a Rolls-Royce.

Lawyers for Darden, who wasn't present in court when the sentence was handed down, declined comment.

Darden was allowed to the leave the proceedings after waiving his right to be present and telling the judge he had suffered a concussion last week while in custody, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Howard testified during the trial that Darden fooled him into giving him $7 million by convincing him that it was an investment toward the purchase of the Dream.

But the eight-time All-Star and three-time NBA defensive player of the year acknowledged he only learned he wasn't an owner of the Dream when ESPN reported the team had been sold to an investor group that included former Dream guard Renee Montgomery in 2021.

Prosecutors said Darden and a sports agent also conned Parsons into sending $1 million that was supposed to aid in the development of James Wiseman, who was drafted by the Golden State Warriors as the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

But the two didn't know Wiseman, and the player never agreed to be represented by the agent as they claimed to Parsons. Wiseman last played for the Indiana Pacers before being traded to the Toronto Raptors, who waived him earlier this year.

Darden was ultimately convicted by a jury in October of wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering charges.

He was previously sentenced to a year in federal prison in New York for impersonating his father, Cal Darden, a former executive at Atlanta-based United Parcel Service, in a failed bid to buy Maxim magazine.

Howard played for seven franchises after the Orlando Magic took him with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2004 draft. He won his lone NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers during the pandemic-affected 2019-20 season.

Parsons had a nine-year NBA career playing for Houston, Dallas, Memphis and Atlanta teams.

The Atlanta Dream were once co-owned by former Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, but she was pressured to sell after clashing with players over her opposition to the league’s racial justice initiatives.

Hawaii doctor accused of trying to kill his wife on hiking trail pleads not guilty

2025-04-08 05:46 Last Updated At：05:51

HONOLULU (AP) — A doctor accused of trying to kill his wife on a Hawaii hiking trail pleaded not guilty in court Monday on an attempted murder charge.

Gerhardt Konig's wife says they were hiking in Honolulu last month when he grabbed her, pushed her toward the edge of a cliff, attempted to inject her with a syringe and then bashed her head with a rock, the woman wrote in a petition for a temporary restraining order against him.

The Associated Press does not name people who are victims of domestic violence unless they consent to be identified or decide to tell their stories publicly.

Since his indictment March 28, Konig has been held without bail.

Defense attorney Thomas Otake told the judge he plans to file a motion requesting bail. There should be some bail because Konig has no prior criminal record, Otake said.

Konig appeared for the brief hearing via video from the Oahu Community Correctional Center.

“Dr. Konig's not guilty plea this morning was not just a formality, but a substantive response to the allegation that he tried to kill his wife,” Otake said in a prepared statement he distributed to reporters before the hearing.

“There are two sides to every story, and thus far only one side has been shared,” Otake said. “The other side to this story will be shared within the court process at the appropriate time.”

If convicted, Konig could face life in prison.

The couple were visiting Oahu to celebrate her birthday while their two young sons stayed home on Maui with a nanny and family, according to the wife's petition filed in family court. A judge signed an order saying Konig must stay away from his wife and their children.

The petition for a restraining order said that in December, Konig accused his wife of having an affair. They have since been in therapy and counseling, she said.

In the petition, she also said her husband has sexually abused and assaulted her.

On March 24 during their recent trip, Konig suggested they go on a hike in Honolulu that she described in the petition as having “narrow ridge sections with steep drop-offs on both sides.”

What is known as “Pali Puka” trail is closed because the route is unsafe, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said. Hikers often enter through a small clearing near a popular lookout point that offers stunning views of windward Oahu despite a warning: “Area Closed! Do not go beyond this sign.”

“During the hike, I became uneasy and informed Gerhardt that I did not want to continue,” the woman said in her petition. “Gerhardt hiked a little further and then came back to get me.”

At one point, he grabbed the woman by her upper arms and started pushing her toward the cliff's edge while yelling that he was sick of her, she said.

They began wrestling and she screamed and pleaded for him to stop, fearing for her life, the petition says.

During the struggle, she said he took a syringe from his bag and tried to inject her.

“I do not know what was in the syringe, but Gerhardt is an anesthesiologist and has access to several potentially lethal medications as part of his employment," she said, adding that she bit his arm in an attempt to defend herself.

He appeared to calm down, but then grabbed a nearby rock and “began bashing me repeatedly on the head with it," she said.

Two women on the trail saw what was happening and said they were calling 911.

The women helped her down the trail while Konig went in another direction.

Gary Soares, a parking lot attendant at the state park that includes the Pali Lookout, recalled Monday seeing a bloodied woman come down from the trail.

“She was bleeding from her head, so you know we just had to wrap her head, stop the bleeding,” he said.

Konig fled the scene, prompting an hourslong search and the closure of the park, police said.

“They locked down the whole Pali Lookout,” Soares said. “Everybody had to leave.”

An ambulance took the woman to a hospital and her husband was arrested that evening.

“It's sad because he's a doctor from Maui,” Soares said. “Doctors we should trust to care of us.”

Konig is an anesthesiologist at Maui Health, which operates hospitals and clinics in Maui County and is an affiliate of Kaiser Permanente. Maui Health said in a statement to media organizations that he was suspended pending investigation.

Kaiser Permanente said in a statement that Konig is not an employee, but is employed by an independent entity contracted to provide medical services. Kaiser said it has suspended his credentials and ability to treat patients pending investigation.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the national domestic violence hotline: 1-800-799-7233 in the U.S.