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A convicted cybercriminal in Georgia is accused of targeting professional athletes in a brazen phishing scheme that prosecutors say escalated into fraud, identity theft and a disturbing sex trafficking operation.
Kwamaine Jerell Ford, 34, of Buford, Georgia, is charged with nine counts of wire fraud, seven counts of computer fraud, one count of access device fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of sex trafficking, according to a news release from the Northern District of Georgia.
Ford pleaded not guilty Friday in federal court and will be held without bail pending trial.
The alleged fraud began in November 2020, while Ford was in Federal Bureau of Prisons custody following his 2019 conviction for phishing attacks and spending nearly $325,000 using stolen financial information.
The suspect is being tried in Georgia, though it is unclear how many states the scheme reached. (iStock)
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Prosecutors claim Ford obtained login credentials for Apple accounts belonging to NBA and NFL players by posing online as a well-known adult film star, offering to send sexually explicit videos to the athletes.
At the same time, he allegedly spoofed legitimate Apple customer service accounts, posed as an Apple support representative, and used victims’ personal information to access videos that his fraudulent adult film star persona had purportedly offered to send, according to court documents.
Through the phishing scheme, dozens of victims were allegedly tricked into providing their login credentials, which Ford then used to access credit and debit card information. Using the stolen financial data, prosecutors say he spent thousands of dollars on personal purchases.
The sexual encounters were allegedly filmed without athletes’ knowledge or consent. (ABC News Studios)
Months later, Ford began posing as an adult film star and coerced a female victim into engaging in commercial sex acts with numerous professional athletes by falsely promising to advance her modeling career, according to court documents.
Ford allegedly advertised the woman to athletes, coordinated her travel and negotiated payments for sex, according to filings.
Prosecutors say he used fraudulent personas to threaten the woman and maintain her involvement in commercial sex acts, taking a financial cut from the encounters — which were often filmed without the athletes’ knowledge or consent.
The alleged scheme took place while the suspect was incarcerated for a similar crime. (Photo by Donato Fasano/Getty Images)
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The alleged scheme took place while Ford was incarcerated for a similar crime.
“While serving time for stealing credit card numbers from athletes and celebrities to fund his lifestyle, Ford allegedly engaged in the same conduct again,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg wrote in a statement. “Disturbingly, the indictment alleges that Ford went even further and used a fraudulent online persona to traffic a young woman and coerce her to produce hidden camera videos of commercial sex acts with unknowing individuals.”
FBI Georgia Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Ellis said agents remain committed to stopping similar schemes.
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“Kwamaine Ford clearly did not learn from his prior conviction for a similar scheme. This time, he allegedly escalated his criminal activity—stealing identities and money while also moving into coercion and sex trafficking,” Ellis said. “The FBI’s dedicated agents remain committed to staying ahead of schemes like this and protecting the public from individuals who exploit and harm others for personal gain.”
The FBI is continuing to investigate.