NEW YORK — A Georgia businessman who defrauded former NBA stars Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons out of millions has been sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison.

Calvin Darden Jr., 50, was convicted in October of wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. The Manhattan jury found that Darden swindled Howard out of $7 million through a fake investment opportunity involving the purchase of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream. He also deceived Parsons into handing over $1 million in a separate scam linked to the development of then-NBA prospect James Wiseman.

On Thursday, a federal judge in Manhattan ordered Darden to forfeit $8 million and several luxury assets, including a $3.7 million mansion in Atlanta, artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat worth $600,000, and high-end vehicles such as a Lamborghini and a Rolls-Royce.

Darden was not present in court for the sentencing, citing a concussion he said he sustained while in custody. He had previously waived his right to appear in person.

During the trial, Howard testified that he believed his $7 million investment was going toward acquiring the Atlanta Dream. The eight-time NBA All-Star only discovered he had been duped when ESPN reported in 2021 that the team had been sold to a different investor group, which included former Dream player Renee Montgomery.

In the case involving Parsons, prosecutors said Darden and an accomplice falsely claimed to represent James Wiseman and convinced the former NBA forward to invest in Wiseman’s development. In reality, neither had a relationship with the player.

Wiseman, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, last played for the Indiana Pacers before being waived by the Toronto Raptors earlier this year.

Darden has a prior conviction from 2006 for impersonating his father, a former UPS executive, in an attempt to buy Maxim magazine. He served a year in prison for that offense.

Howard, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 draft, won an NBA title with the Lakers in 2020. Parsons retired following a nine-year career with stops in Houston, Dallas, Memphis, and Atlanta.

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