49ers' Akers testifies he lost $3.7M

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- San Francisco 49ers place kicker David Akers testified he lost $3.7 million investing with Triton Financial, trusting chief executive Kurt Barton's acumen.

Barton is on trial in federal court in Austin on charges he defrauded investors of $50 million through a Ponzi scheme.

"I've had a lot of sleepless nights," Akers, who put millions of dollars in Triton Financial from 2007 to 2009, told the jury Monday. "As I said, this is my family's future. I said that to Kurt a lot of times. I said, 'Man, I'm trusting in you.'"

Two other NFL players also were among the prosecution witnesses who said they sustained huge losses investing with Barton, whose attorneys contend he only made bad business decisions, the Austin American-Statesman reported.

But Akers said among the deals Barton touted was for an insurance company and land for an athletic center that were never purchased.

Prosecutors were expected to wind up their case by the end of the day. The newspaper said it was unclear if Barton would testify or call any witnesses.