Kwamaine Jerell Ford was indicted on March 16 for allegedly targeting professional athletes in a phishing scam that led to fraud and sex trafficking, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address threats such as human trafficking and cybercrime, which are priorities for the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia according to the official website.
Ford, previously convicted in 2019 of computer fraud and aggravated identity theft involving similar schemes, is accused of resuming his criminal activities while serving time in federal prison. “While serving time for stealing credit card numbers from athletes and celebrities to fund his lifestyle, Ford allegedly engaged in the same conduct again,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Disturbingly, the indictment alleges that Ford went even further and used a fraudulent online persona to traffic a young woman and coerce her to produce hidden camera videos of commercial sex acts with unknowing individuals.” Hertzberg holds the position of United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia according to the official website.
FBI Georgia Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Ellis said, “Kwamaine Ford clearly did not learn from his prior conviction for a similar scheme. This time, he allegedly escalated his criminal activity—stealing identities and money while also moving into coercion and sex trafficking. The FBI’s dedicated agents remain committed to staying ahead of schemes like this and protecting the public from individuals who exploit and harm others for personal gain.”
Court documents allege that beginning in November 2020, Ford obtained Apple account credentials from NBA and NFL players by posing as an adult film star online or as an Apple customer support representative through spoofed accounts. He then used these credentials to access financial information and make unauthorized purchases totaling thousands of dollars. In May 2021, Ford allegedly coerced a female victim into commercial sex acts with athletes under false promises about advancing her modeling career, coordinated travel arrangements, negotiated payments, threatened her using fake personas, took a share of proceeds from these acts, and arranged secret recordings without consent.
Ford appeared in federal court on March 13 where he pled not guilty to multiple counts including wire fraud, computer fraud, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and sex trafficking. He is being held without bail pending trial.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office serves as the principal federal law enforcement agency in its district according to its official website, enforcing federal criminal laws while collaborating with law enforcement partners according to its official website. The office covers a region serving approximately 7.5 million residents across north Georgia mountains, Atlanta suburbs, and borders with Alabama and the Carolinas according to its official website, coordinating cases with nationwide or international dimensions when necessary according to its official website.
Members of the public are reminded that indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
