LOS ANGELES (WLUK) — John Robert Leake, a former Green Bay Packers linebacker, was sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison for his role in a Ponzi scheme that defrauded victims out of more than $5 million.
Leake, 43, of Plano, Texas, who played for the Packers in 2005 and also spent time with the Atlanta Falcons, pleaded guilty in September 2024 to one count of wire fraud and one count of transactional money laundering.
From 2015 to 2020, Leake allegedly solicited investments from individuals by falsely claiming he was involved in lucrative ventures like luxury real estate investments, and gold mines in Alaska and Ghana. He promised high returns to his victims in exchange for their loans.
Once the victims provided funds, Leake used the money without their knowledge or consent to cover personal expenses, such as credit card bills, rent, car payments, and even gambling expenses. To keep his scheme going, he made false “interest” and “capital” payments to victims using some of their own money, which further lulled them into a false sense of security.
Leake received over $8.1 million from six victims, causing a total financial loss of more than $5.3 million. In addition to his 2.5-year prison sentence, Leake was ordered to pay full restitution of over $5.3 million to the victims of his fraud.
This case highlights the dangers of Ponzi schemes, where perpetrators use new investors’ money to pay returns to earlier investors, creating the illusion of a profitable business.
