Ex-NFL Player Indicted for Embezzling $22 Million in Real Estate Loans

Christopher Harrison, former NFL player, faces federal charges for allegedly embezzling over $22 million in real estate development loans.Photo byDave AdamsononUnsplash

A federal grand jury has indicted Christopher A. Harrison, 52, a former NFL player and real estate developer, for embezzling loans intended for two commercial real estate projects, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today.

The indictment, returned on Oct. 15, alleges that Harrison misappropriated loans totaling over $22 million from Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust (CRBT) for the Model Tobacco Project in Richmond, Virginia, and the Whitaker Park Project in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the department noted.

According to the indictment, Harrison was prohibited from using the loan funds for personal expenses or to pay himself or affiliated entities any construction, management, development, or contractor fees.

However, court documents allege that Harrison created a shell company, Virginia Demolition LLC, which had no employees or equipment, to fraudulently bill CRBT for work on both projects.

The indictment details that Harrison forged the signature of an individual falsely listed as the "President" of Virginia Demolition on various documents submitted to CRBT, misrepresenting that legitimate work had been completed.

Additionally, Harrison allegedly inflated invoices from another construction vendor to induce CRBT to release inflated loan amounts.

According to the indictment, Harrison submitted over a dozen falsified invoices and lien waivers, resulting in the misappropriation of more than $3.6 million.

The funds were intended for the development of the Model Tobacco and Whitaker Park Projects but were instead used for personal purchases, including $60,000 on Rolex watches, home mortgage payments, landscaping services, and tuition for his child.

Court filings also allege that Harrison used some of the stolen funds to cover legal fees for a separate project, the Petersburg Ramada Inn, a property Harrison purchased in 2018 and later sold back to the City of Petersburg in June 2022.

Harrison faces multiple charges, including wire fraud and mail fraud, each carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived property, which carries a 10-year maximum sentence; and aggravated identity theft, which includes a mandatory two-year prison sentence.

Notably, the indictment is an allegation, and Harrison is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.