He charmed his way to top of the NFL. Then he was found dead in a pool
On July 31, an Uber driver pulled up to a house in New York and opened the trunk of his SUV. It contained a suitcase that was empty except for two watches and a signed soccer cleat.
TL;DR
- Mohamed Coulibaly, 23, is accused of operating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of over $5 million, including several NFL stars.
- Coulibaly allegedly used his charisma, purported connections, and a fabricated business empire to gain trust within the NFL community.
- Victims include former NFL player Tae Crowder, who lost his life savings, and ex-Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim, who claims he was also scammed.
- Coulibaly's scheme unraveled by late July, with investors' attempts to retrieve funds met with excuses, and his death in a swimming pool is under criminal investigation.
- Experts suggest Coulibaly exploited 'affinity fraud,' leveraging trust within the close-knit sports community.
- Barry Minkow, assisting victims, aims to recover the lost money, emphasizing that the focus is on getting investors' funds back.