A Georgia businessman was convicted Friday by a federal jury in Manhattan on five counts of defrauding former NBA players Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons of a combined $8 million in 2021.

Calvin Darden Jr. was found guilty of fraud, bank fraud, money laundering and two different conspiracy charges. Darden was involved in multiple schemes with former NBA agent Charles Briscoe, who pleaded guilty last year to his role in the case.

Prosecutors presented evidence that Howard sent Darden a $7 million payment for what the former All-Star believed was part of an effort to purchase the WNBA team the Atlanta Dream.

Parsons was tricked into making a fraudulent investment in the career development of former No. 2 draft pick James Wiseman. Government lawyers have indicated they plan to argue for a sentence of 11 to 14 years for Darden, who was also convicted in 2016 of a multimillion-dollar fraud.

The jury, which took five hours to reach a verdict after a two-week trial, was presented with evidence that Darden used $6.1 million of Howard’s $7 million for two cars, including a Lamborghini, $110,000 for a piano, $90,000 for watches and to help with the purchase of a car. $3.7 million home in Atlanta. Howard testified at Darden’s trial.

Briscoe was given three months of house arrest and three years of supervision last November on one count of bank fraud.

The case was part of a series of indictments and arrests across the Southern District of New York last year. Next year, a former Morgan Stanley financial adviser, Darryl Cohen, will go on trial as part of a scheme the government claims defrauded Boston Celtics star Jrue Holiday, among others.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.