A Colorado man was arrested for allegedly impersonating a former NFL athlete and scamming a woman out of more than $100,000, police said.
James Otis Turner, 49, of Highlands Ranch, allegedly told a woman that his name was Dante Sir Foster and that he used to play for the Denver Broncos, the Castle Rock Police Department said in a press release Wednesday.
The woman reported the incident in October and told investigators that she had been defrauded. A spokesman for the police department told NBC News that Turner and the woman, whose identity was not revealed, were in a relationship over several months and that he had convinced the woman that he needed money.
Turner, who police said has no connection to the Broncos or the NFL, was arrested in October by the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office for an unrelated incident. While investigating that incident, several women came forward to say that Turner had identified himself to them as a player for the Denver Broncos, Castle Rock police said.
It's not clear if those other women gave Turner money, the Castle Rock spokesman said.
Turner was arrested on Dec. 28 for the alleged scam and faces charges of felony theft, forgery, criminal impersonation and identity theft, police said. He was taken to the Douglas County jail and released on bond.
A Dante Sir Foster never played in the NFL, but there was a Donte Foster who signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2014. The real Foster re-tweeted a comment about Turner's alleged sham, writing that he was "sad to hear" about it.
A spokesman for the Broncos told NBC News that the team and NFL security were aware of the alleged scam but could not comment further. The Vikings did not immediately return NBC's request for comment.