Businessman Who Scammed Ex-nba Star Dwight Howard In Fake Bid For Wnba Team Gets 12 Years In Prison

A Georgia businessman who scammed former NBA players Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons out of millions of dollars was sentenced Thursday to more than 12 years in federal prison.

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.

The 50-year-old Atlanta resident was also found guilty of bilking 1 million from former NBA forward Chandler Parsons in a separate ruse involving the development of then-NBA prospect James Wiseman.

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.

Lawyers for Darden, who wasn't present in court when the sentence was handed down, declined comment.