Sure Sports Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
The sports-lending firm filed for bankruptcy after three fraudulent loans totaling $11.7 million were arranged using impostors posing as NFL players.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Financial Crime
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Sure Sports filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday. The filing follows a scheme in which at least three loans totaling $11.7 million were arranged in 2023 and 2024 to individuals posing as NFL players Michael Penix, Xavier McKinney and David Njoku.
Why it matters
The case shows how impostors were able to pass as well-known athletes to obtain large loans, exposing lenders to significant losses. Lenders Aliya Sports Finance Fund and All Pro Capital Funding have already sued Sure Sports, and the bankruptcy will shape how those claims are resolved.
Luther Davis pleaded guilty earlier this year and is scheduled to be sentenced December 3, while CJ Evins has already been sentenced to six years in prison. Sure Sports' assets and liabilities are each listed between $1 million and $10 million, and it remains unclear how much of the $11.7 million will be recovered in bankruptcy.
The players
Sure Sports
A sports-focused lending company founded in 2009 by Leon McKenzie and Joleen Matte that arranged the loans at the center of the case.
Luther Davis
A former Alabama college football lineman who appeared at loan closings in disguise posing as NFL players and who pleaded guilty earlier this year.
Aliya Sports Finance Fund
A lender that has sued Sure Sports in at least one of two lawsuits over the loans.
All Pro Capital Funding
A lender that has sued Sure Sports in at least one of two lawsuits over the loans.
The details
Former Alabama lineman Luther Davis appeared at loan closings in disguise, posing as NFL players whose names were used to secure the financing. The FBI arrested Davis in 2024 at a fake loan closing arranged by Sure Sports; the three NFL players had no role in the fraud. Sure Sports was founded in 2009 by Leon McKenzie and Joleen Matte.
Timeline
2023: Sure Sports arranged its first fraudulent loans.
2024: The FBI arrested Davis at a fake loan closing.
Monday, November 2, 2026: Sure Sports filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
December 3, 2026: Davis is scheduled to be sentenced.
Legal Context
Prosecutions of loan fraud that relies on impersonating public figures are a recurring pattern in U.S. federal courts, where identity is the key tool for unlocking financing. The Sure Sports case follows that pattern by showing impostors appearing as active NFL players to secure millions from specialty sports lenders.
Lenders and creditors owed money by Sure Sports face uncertain recoveries through the bankruptcy process. Athletes whose names are used commercially may face heightened risk of their identities being misused to obtain financing.
The takeaway
Verifying identity at loan closings, not just relying on documents, is essential when large sums are advanced. Lenders dealing with sports-focused firms should confirm borrowers in person and through independent means.
What happens next
Davis is scheduled to be sentenced December 3, 2026, and the bankruptcy case will proceed through creditor claims in the coming months.
Further reading
For more on related cases, browse Financial Crime coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Front Office Sports.
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