Former Pro-Bowler Irving Fryar Sentenced to 5 Years for Fraud
Irving Fryar, a former NFL star who played 17 seasons variously for the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Redskins, was sentenced to five years in prison as a result of a fraud scheme he carried out with his 74-year-old mother, Allene McGhee.
Between December 2009 and January 2010, the pair took out six fraudulent home equity loans totalling $1.2 million, and five were taken out in a single four-day period, according to NJ.com. They used a single piece of property that his mother owned as collateral and then lied about how much money she made at a job working for the church where Fryar was a pastor. Fryar's mother will serve three years of probation.
The mother-son duo tried to get out of the prosecution by blaming William Barksdale, a mortgage broker, but he told the court that the two knew they were committing fraud. They were found guilty of second-degree conspiracy and theft by deception in August.
Fryar played for the University of Nebraska from 1981 to 1983, where he was an All-American before he became the first wide receiver chosen as the first pick of the draft by the New England Patriots in 1984.
Throughout his career, Fryar struggled with drug abuse and weapons charges. His wife of 29 years divorced him in 2014.
