A former NFL linebacker who played briefly with the Green Bay Packers was sentenced to 2½ years in federal prison this week after he admitted to running a Ponzi scheme involving West African gold mines, properties in Central America and other ventures.
John Robert Leake took millions of dollars from friends and acquaintances for supposed investment schemes. Leake used the money to gamble, according to federal court filings from the Central District of California.
“(Leake) stole millions of dollars from friends and acquaintances through bald-faced deception,” federal prosecutors wrote in court filings. He “lied to those who considered him a friend, convinced them to invest in business opportunities that were largely non-existent, and used their funds to either pay his personal expenses, or pay back those he had already stolen from in an effort to keep his scheme afloat.