It figures that within 24 hours after seeing on TBS the Seinfeld episode in which Newman investigates Jerry for mail fraud, a real-life case of mail fraud lands on our radar.
Saints assistant defensive line coach Travis Jones is among 40 people named in a federal indictment relating to “an alleged massive real estate swindle,” according to James Varney of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Jones is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, a felony carrying a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Jones’ attorney says his client was a victim of a scam perpetrated by a man named John Barry.
“Mr. Jones, who came to the table with a clean record and perfect credit was solicited by others to ‘use his credit’ to invest in Texas real estate,” attorney Jason Kreiss said. “Mr. Jones was ultimately victimized when he was misled into quitclaiming his property rights and left with mortgages for worthless property that resulted in foreclosure proceedings.”
If Kreiss is accurate -- if this was an investment opportunity gone bad -- it makes us wonder whether other current or former members of the organization have gotten caught up in the scam as well, given last year’s rigmarole regarding film company tax credits. In this case, however, the deals allegedly were launched in 2005, when Jones was working for the Dolphins.
Jones joined the Saints in 2008, after three years in Miami. He previously spent two at LSU, two at Kansas, three at Appalachian State, and one at Georgia. He played linebacker for the University, and he was a member of the 1995 Baltimore Stallions of the CFL.
And, of course, he’s a native of Milledgeville, Georgia.
