Ex-NFL linebacker convicted of $8M Ponzi scheme should have league benefits garnished, feds say
Former NFL linebacker John Robert Leake was convicted of running an $8 million Ponzi scheme involving fake gold mine and real estate investments. He used investor funds to support a gambling addiction that resulted in over $5.3 million in losses. Federal authorities are now seeking to garnish his NFL benefits to help repay the debt.
- ▪John Robert Leake played for the Atlanta Falcons and briefly for the Green Bay Packers in 2005 and 2006.
- ▪He pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges in September 2024.
- ▪Leake was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the scheme.
- ▪He used investor money to fund a gambling habit, incurring more than $5.3 million in unpaid losses.
- ▪Federal authorities are seeking to garnish his NFL benefits to repay the debt.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
US News Ex-NFL linebacker convicted of $8M Ponzi scheme should have league benefits garnished, feds say By Kathianne Boniello Published May 2, 2026, 7:47 a.m. ET A former NFL linebacker who ran an $8 million Ponzi scheme by promising investors big returns on gold mines and other real estate deals should have his benefits from the league garnished, according to the feds. John Robert Leake of Marina Del Ray played for the Atlanta Falcons and briefly for the Green Bay Packers in 2005 and 2006, but by September 2024 had pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges. Leake, now 44, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the scheme, in which he convinced friends and others to invest with him in exotic sounding ventures such as the purported mines in Africa and Alaska.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at US News – Latest Breaking Headlines, Photos & Videos | New York Post.
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