Here’s how a former NFL star was scammed out of $2.5 million

Police have detailed a vast financial crime that ensnared former Miami Dolphins safety Reshad Jones, allegedly scamming him out of $2.58 million over the course of several years.

A report from Local 10 News claims that Jones fell victim to a grand theft and money laundering scheme orchestrated by Isaiah Williams, the player’s former financial advisor.

Williams, who had worked at Merrill Lynch, and a woman named Octavia Graham allegedly stole millions of dollars to fund a lavish lifestyle and pay off credit card debts.

“This is yet another troubling example of a professional athlete being exploited by a wealth management firm he trusted,”Jones’ attorneys claimed.

“In this case, the wrongdoer was a Vice President at one of the world’s largest financial institutions -- Bank of America’s investment management division, Merrill Lynch. We have filed a lawsuit to hold Merrill Lynch accountable and are working to recover all damages our client has suffered.”

The bulk of the losses came between January 2022 and March 2024, when police claim that Williams took $1.58 million from Jones’ account across 133 separate wire transfers. Williams reportedly spent the money on hotels, first-class flights, nightclub tabs, clothing, jewelry and even child support, amongst other things.

Another $1.03 million of losses occurred between October 2019 and September 2021, during which time Graham allegedly helped Williams to embezzle money from Jones.

A report from BrokerCheck shows that Williams resigned from his former role at Merrill Lynch last December, facing allegations of “misappropriation, unsuitable asset allocation, misrepresentations and an improper outside business activity.”

Over the course of his 11-year NFL career, Jones is thought to have earned around $58 million in total. But by the end his annual salary from the Dolphins was around $2 million.

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