49ers Received Warning About Alleged Impersonator Months Before Arrest
The short version
- Gwen Herndon says she warned the 49ers about Daejon Love in December, eight months before his arrest.
- A Levi's Stadium guest services account replied but could not comment on active investigations.
- Love and Taylor Chan face wire fraud and conspiracy charges; investigators have identified dozens of alleged victims.
- A source told ESPN the team had no prior reports on Love before the FBI made contact in August.
Court records and reporting by ESPN show a woman alerted the team in December to a man accused of posing as a player and defrauding women.
Gwen Herndon, who identifies herself as a victim in the case, says she submitted a complaint to the San Francisco 49ers in December alerting them to a man allegedly posing as one of their players. That was roughly eight months before Daejon Love was taken into custody by authorities.
ESPN's Kalyn Kahler reviewed the submission, in which Herndon wrote that a federal probe involved a man impersonating a 49ers player, taking money from women, and harming the club's reputation. Roughly a week later, a Levi's Stadium guest services account replied that the organization treats such reports seriously but cannot discuss active investigations, and directed her to law enforcement. Herndon said she had no further exchanges with the team afterward.
According to ESPN, a source said the 49ers had received no reports about Love prior to the FBI contacting them in August, and it remains unclear whether anyone internally saw Herndon's message.
Love, 35, and Taylor Chan, 18, were arrested in August and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Prosecutors allege Love spent years posing as a 49ers player or real estate investor, and that the two used dating apps to meet women who then handed over money meant for investments. Officials initially counted 26 victims losing more than $1.3 million across California, Idaho, Washington and Oregon, and federal investigators said last week that 35 more women have come forward.
Herndon, a real estate agent, has sued Love in Oregon small claims court, saying she gave him $10,000 for an investment and was blocked after demanding answers. She has also reported him to the FBI and local police, formed a Facebook group, and ran newspaper ads to draw attention. She said she found some comfort in knowing the 49ers were informed, but was disappointed the message may not have been elevated as she had hoped.