NEW YORK (AP) — A Georgia businessman was convicted Friday of defrauding former NBA star Dwight Howard of millions of dollars in a bogus scheme to buy the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.

The jury returned its verdict against Calvin Darden Jr. after a trial in New York City on Friday afternoon. Darden was also convicted of duping former NBA forward Chandler Parsons in a separate ruse.

Howard – one of the NBA’s most dominant centers during the prime of his 18-year professional career – testified at trial that Darden fooled him into giving him $7 million by convincing him it was an investment toward purchasing the Dream. In reality, a three-person investor group, including former player Renee Montgomery, bought the team in 2021.

When a prosecutor asked him if he was getting anything in return for his $7 million, Howard testified he was “slapped in the face.”

Prosecutors said Darden also worked with a sports agent to fool Parsons, who had a nine-year NBA career, into sending $1 million, which was intended to fund the development of James Wiseman, who currently plays in the NBA to support.

Darden’s conviction came eight years after he was sentenced to a year in prison for impersonating his successful father in a failed attempt to buy Maxim magazine. In that case, Darden obtained leniency by cooperating with prosecutors against others charged in the case.

This time, however, Darden turned down two government offers to plead guilty and went to trial.

Prosecutors believe he faces a prison sentence of 11 to 14 years when he is sentenced early next year.

Following the sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Meade immediately attempted to take Darden into custody. He said he had not learned his lesson since the 2016 case, but Judge Vernon S. Broderick ruled he could remain free on bail for the time being.

Howard was an eight-time All Star and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. He played for seven franchises, most notably the Orlando Magic – who drafted him first overall in 2004 – and the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won his only NBA title during the pandemic-affected 2019-2020 season . Parsons played with Houston, Dallas, Memphis and Atlanta.

The Atlanta Dream was co-owned by former Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, but she was pressured to sell after clashing with players over her opposition to the league’s racial justice initiatives. Dreamers urged people to vote for her Democratic opponent, now U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock.

During closing arguments Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Thompson said the evidence that Darden “committed these crimes is overwhelming.”

Prosecutors said Darden spent at least $6.1 million of the $7 million he received from Howard. That included spending $500,000 on two cars; $110,000 on a piano; $765,000 for a down payment on a $3.7 million home; $90,000 on luxury watches and another half-million dollars for home upgrades, in addition to the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on art.

Prosecutors said they planned to seize all of Darden’s assets, including his home in Atlanta, along with luxury cars, art and jewelry.

Darden’s attorney insisted his client will not commit further fraud and that his family needs him.

Darden’s father, Cal Darden, is a former senior vice president for operations at Atlanta-based United Parcel Service Inc. who has served on the boards of several major companies. Darden’s attorney Xavier Donaldson argued that his client never impersonated his father to the athletes and accused prosecutors of trying to get jurors to use “guesswork, speculation and unreasonable inferences” to reach a guilty verdict.