NFL Legend Emmitt Smith Accused of Defrauding Native American Investor
Emmitt Smith, the former NFL star known for his role in winning three Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys during the 1990s, is facing serious allegations. A lawsuit filed in Delaware this week by Kituwah LLC, the investment arm of the Band of Cherokee Indians, claims that Smith deceived them out of $2.5 million.
According to the lawsuit, which has been reported by various sources, Kituwah LLC lent Smith the money after he persuaded them to collaborate on a project with his business partner, David Mosley, and their real estate firm. The lawsuit seeks at least $2.5 million, plus interest and other expenses, with damages to be determined at trial.
The lawsuit reveals that the loan is now over two years overdue and that Kituwah has allegedly not seen any repayment. Instead, it claims that the funds were used to pay off a previous investor involved in the project.
Additionally, the complaint states that Kituwah has incurred further costs in efforts to recover the lost funds, characterizing Smith’s proposal as a deceptive scheme filled with falsehoods. “Kituwah invested considerable time and resources into the joint venture,” the court documents assert. “Unfortunately, not only has Kituwah not received any returns, they’ve had to allocate more resources to figure out what happened to their money.”
As reported, the suit outlines six different legal claims, including fraudulent inducement, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract. It is noted that nearly $600,000 in interest has accumulated on the loan, pushing the total balance to over $3 million. Last year, Kituwah reportedly offered to forgo the interest if the loan was repaid by August 31, 2025, but says this proposition, like others, was ignored.
The lawsuit not only demands the $2.5 million along with accrued interest and expenses but also seeks additional compensatory damages and attorneys’ fees for pursuing the case. It requests that the court provide any other relief deemed appropriate.
