Fake 49ers Player Victim Disputes Team's Timeline of Awareness
An alleged victim claims she warned the San Francisco 49ers about Daejon Love months before the team stated they were aware of the fraud.
One of the alleged victims in a fraud scheme orchestrated by a man impersonating San Francisco 49ers player Daejon Love claims the team was aware of the situation earlier than they have publicly stated.
Gwen Herndon, an alleged victim, submitted a complaint through the 49ers' website in December, eight months prior to Love's arrest, according to a report by ESPN's Kalyn Kahler. In her complaint, Herndon stated that a "federal investigation [was] surrounding a man pretending to be a 49ers player" and that Love was "severely damaging the reputation of your team."
The 49ers responded to Herndon's complaint via email, stating, "For safety and legal reasons, the team cannot comment on ongoing investigations or specific individuals. However, we appreciate you bringing this to our attention and encouraging proactive measures to protect the integrity of the organization."
The team's email further advised Herndon to "contact the appropriate agencies directly" if she possessed information that could assist law enforcement. The 49ers also indicated that their "internal team will also monitor any instances of impersonation and take action as appropriate to protect fans and the team’s reputation."
Herndon told ESPN that she had no further contact with the 49ers after receiving this email response. This contradicts a previous statement by the 49ers to ESPN, asserting that the team had not received reports about Love before being contacted by the FBI in August.
When reached for comment by The Post, the 49ers cited the ongoing FBI investigation and offered no further statement. The discrepancy between the team's public statements and Herndon's account raises questions about the organization's handling of the alleged impersonation and fraud.