Former UVA, NFL player charged with embezzling from real estate projects

RICHMOND, Va. -- A former University of Virginia and NFL football player has been indicted on federal fraud charges, potentially facing decades in prison.

A grand jury returned an indictment Tuesday against Christopher A. Harrison, according to the United States Attorney’s Office.

The 52-year-old developer is charged with wire fraud, mail fraud, engaging in monetary transactions with criminally derived property, and aggravated identity theft.

Prosecutors accuse Harrison of skimming loan proceeds that were intended for two real estate projects: the Model Tobacco complex in South Richmond, and the Whitaker Park project in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

According to the indictment, Harrison used some of that money to buy luxury items for himself, including $60,000 that was spent on Rolex watches.

Prosecutors said Harrison also used the money to make personal mortgage payments, pay for landscaping services at his home, and pay for his child’s tuition and tutoring.

The alleged crimes also connect to one of Central Virginia’s most infamous ‘ eyesores .’

Harrison is the former owner of the old Ramada Inn that stood for decades on East Washington Street in Petersburg, overlooking Interstate 95.

Prosecutors said Harrison used some of the money he’s accused of embezzling to pay the legal fees associated with a lawsuit over the proposed renovation of the hotel and the surrounding area . Harrison ended up selling the property back to the City of Petersburg in 2022 .

Harrison was a standout offensive lineman for UVA in the mid-1990s. He later played four seasons in the NFL, before beginning a career in real estate.

If convicted, he faces the possibility of a more than 30-year prison sentence, though the DOJ says the sentences for the crimes Harrison is accused of are typically less than the maximum penalties.

This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have information to share.

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