SHOCKER: Vikings LB Dallas Turner Reportedly Loses Quarter-Million Dollars in Elaborate Bank Fraud Scheme

The Star Tribune and ESPN claim that Dallas Turner, a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings, was defrauded of $240,000 in a bank fraud operation.

According to a police spokeswoman who talked to ESPN, approximately $2,500 of the stolen money has been recovered, and charges are being pursued against multiple suspects:

“A number of suspects have been identified as a result of our investigation, and we are pursuing criminal charges to hold them accountable,” Eagan (Minnesota) Police Sgt. Rich Evans told ESPN. According to Evans, the inquiry is still ongoing, but about $2,500 of the stolen money has been restored.

In an attempt to obtain bank data from the JPMorgan Chase branch in Eagan, Minnesota, the city where the Vikings’ practice facility is situated, the police submitted a search warrant affidavit this week that detailed the alleged conspiracy.

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In essence, Turner was contacted by someone posing as an employee of JP Morgan Chase, who persuaded him to transfer the funds to two other purported business accounts. From the Star Tribune:

In April, Turner and his lawyer called the police to report that on February 19, Turner had a call “from an individual impersonating a JP Morgan Chase banker.” At a Chase Bank location in Arizona, the caller said, someone was trying to pass for [Turner] and used two copies of identification to complete a wire transfer.

In an attempt to foil the theft attempt, the caller instructed Turner to move his funds right away to two different business accounts.

Turner transferred $120,000 to “Island Food Truck LLC” at a Chase location in Eagan that afternoon. He transferred a further $120,000 to “CNL FL LLC” at a Chase Bank location in West St. Paul before the day was finished.

Turner, a native of Alabama, was selected 17th overall by the Vikings in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. With a $8.3 million signing bonus from the previous year, the Fort Lauderdale native is guaranteed $15.8 million on his rookie contract, according to OverTheCap.

Despite playing in 16 games and not starting any of them, the 22-year-old saw inconsistent action during his first campaign, recording three sacks and 17 total tackles. He was ranked 90th out of 211 edge defenders for the season by Pro Football Focus.

After matching for the SEC lead in sacks with 10, he and Nathaniel Watson of Mississippi State were named the 2023 SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year at Alabama.

This week, former NFL receiver Chad Ochocinco sponsored the first-ever Wideout Workshop in Miami, where some of the league’s top wide receivers came together to work out and exchange thoughts on how to improve their skills.

According to the Miami Herald, those present were Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase of Cincinnati, Tyreek Hill of Miami, Jerry Jeudy of Cleveland, Jaxon Smith-Njigba of Seattle, Jayden Reed of Green Bay, Courtland Sutton of Denver, Elijah Moore of Buffalo, and Tank Dell of Houston.

For scores of NFL tight ends, from Pro Bowl players to others only wanting to make a roster, George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Greg Olsen have transformed Tight End University into a significant yearly gathering where they can all grow as professionals. For the wide receiver position, Ochocinco saw a comparable potential.

Instagram footage from the workshop shows the receivers running routes and coaching one another, putting in a little extra work before training camp at an event that could easily become a yearly favorite, much like Tight End U.