Atlanta man who scammed Dwight Howard for $7M gets lengthy prison sentence

Dwight Howard's NBA career ended in less than ideal fashion, considering that he was a bona fide franchise superstar in his prime. And while he can fondly look back at winning a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers and getting inducted into the Orlando Magic Hall of Fame, he has also dealt with challenging situations on and off the court.

One of the more bizarre things that has happened to Dwight Howard is that he was swindled by an Atlanta-based conman. Under the pretext of eventually selling him a WNBA team, the Atlanta Dream, Calvin Darden Jr. conned Howard out of $7 million. And now, as reported by ESPN, he has been sentenced to serve 12 years in federal prison, alongside other penalties.

"A Manhattan jury in October convicted Calvin Darden Jr. of cheating Howard -- who had been one of the NBA's most dominant players in his prime -- out of $7 million in a bogus scheme to buy the WNBA's Atlanta Dream," an ESPN report said.

"A Manhattan federal court judge on Thursday ordered Darden to forfeit $8 million, as well as several luxury items he acquired with the ill-gotten gains, including a $3.7 million Atlanta mansion, $600,000 in artwork by Jean-Michel Basquiat, a Lamborghini and a Rolls-Royce."

Dwight Howard testified during Darden's trial and admitted that he was swindled out of his money by the Georgia businessman. Howard's net worth in 2025 is estimated to be around $140 million, so it wasn't a devastating loss for him, but still one that has to pinch heavily.

Darden Jr. also conned former NBA player Chandler Parsons, and now has over a decade in prison to reflect upon his crimes. Dwight Howard can now focus on his other business endeavors, and hopefully, WNBA team ownership is actually in his future.

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