Basketball Star's Name Scammed in Multi-Million Fraud

Luguentz Dort

'The Dort Heist: How a Basketball Star’s Name Became the Center of a Multi-Million Dollar Scam'

— A True Crime Deep Dive —

The Setup: A Name Worth Stealing

Luguentz Dort wasn’t just a rising NBA star—he was a brand. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard, known for his lockdown defense and explosive scoring, had built a reputation as one of the league’s most relentless players. But in 2022, his name became the unlikely centerpiece of a brazen financial fraud scheme that spanned three countries and left investigators stunned.

The Scheme: Fake Jerseys, Fake Contracts, and a Fake 'Dort'

It started with a tip from an NBA merchandise distributor in Miami. A shipment of high-end Luguentz Dort jerseys had arrived from a factory in Indonesia—except Dort’s representatives had never authorized them. The jerseys were near-perfect replicas, right down to the Nike and NBA logos. But when investigators traced the order, they hit a dead end: the company that placed it didn’t exist.

Then came the second red flag. A talent agency in Montreal, Dort’s hometown, received an email from someone claiming to be his 'business manager,' requesting urgent wire transfers for an 'endorsement deal' with a fake energy drink brand. The email signature, phone number, and even the tone mimicked Dort’s real team—but the account was offshore.

The Mastermind: A Con Artist with a Playbook

The FBI and RCMP soon uncovered a pattern. The scammer, operating under the alias 'Victor Lenoir,' had impersonated Dort’s inner circle to secure six-figure advances from brands, fabricate licensing deals, and even sell bogus 'meet-and-greet' packages to fans.

But the most audacious move? Creating a shadow corporation under Dort’s name in the Bahamas, complete with forged signatures. The shell company was used to launder money from fake merchandise sales—until a bank compliance officer noticed irregularities in the transactions.

The Takedown: A Digital Trail Leads to Arrest

'Lenoir' had covered his tracks well, using VPNs, burner phones, and cryptocurrency. But he made one mistake: he reused an alias from a prior fraud case in France. Interpol linked the digital fingerprints, and in March 2023, authorities arrested 32-year-old Olivier Deschamps at a luxury hotel in Panama City.

Deschamps, a former sports marketing intern turned grifter, had studied Dort’s career meticulously—even joining Thunder fan forums to gather intel. 'He didn’t just steal Dort’s identity; he weaponized his hustle,' said one investigator.

The Aftermath: A Star’s Unwitting Role in a Crime Saga

Dort, who cooperated with authorities, was never accused of wrongdoing. But the case exposed vulnerabilities in athlete branding—and inspired the NBA to tighten its anti-fraud protocols.

As for Deschamps? He’s serving a 12-year sentence in a Florida prison, where he reportedly spends his time writing a screenplay about the ordeal.

Case Closed.

(Note: While this story is inspired by real-world athlete impersonation scams, the specific events and characters are fictionalized for narrative effect.)

Would you like a follow-up on how Dort responded to the case? Or a breakdown of how athletes can protect their brands?

Basketball Star's Name Scammed in Multi-Million Fraud

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