A state grand jury in New Jersey today indicted former NFL wide receiver Irving Fryar and his mother for conspiring to steal nearly $700,000 in an alleged mortgage fraud scam.
According to the five-page indictment, Fryar, 51, and his 72-year-old mother, Allene McGhee, allegedly worked together to apply for and close on five home loans in six days back in 2009, while using only McGhee's home as collateral. This is from a statement issued by the New Jersey attorney general's office:
Fryar and McGhee allegedly deceived the five banks by applying for and closing on the loans within a short period and purposefully failing to disclose the existence of any prior loans, so each bank funded its loan in the belief that it held the first lien on the property and the loan would be secured by adequate equity.
Fryar played 17 seasons with the Patriots, Dolphins, Eagles, and Redskins from 1984 to 2000. He is the pastor and founder of a church in South Jersey, and the head coach of a high school football team there. The indictment accuses McGhee of falsely claiming on the loan applications that she earned thousands of dollars as an event coordinator for Fryar's church. It also alleges that Fryar received or spent more than $200,000 of the loan proceeds, and that only a few payments were made on four of the loans. The banks eventually were forced to write off the losses.
Additionally, McGhee allegedly provided false earnings information on two other loan applications: One in October 2009 in which Fryar's home was used as collateral, and a sixth mortgage on her own home in January 2010.
Both Fryar and McGhee were charged with one count each of second-degree conspiracy and theft by deception. Each count carries a sentence of five to 10 years in prison and a fine of $150,000.
A copy of the full indictment can be read below: