Carolina Panthers DE Kony Ealy sued for alleged puppy fraud

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 13 (UPI) -- Apparently the dog days are not over for Kony Ealy.

After losing Super Bowl 50 to the Denver Broncos last Sunday, the Carolina Panthers defensive end could be in for another deficit.

Ealy, 24, has been named in a fraud lawsuit involving an African Boerboel, according to the Charlotte Observer.

Kris Johnson alleges that Ealy and his brother conned him out of $3,000, according to the report.

Johnson, a former owner of a Mecklenburg sports bar, named Ealy and Danny 'Dogman' Jones in the suit. Johnson was allegedly cutting grass in front of an expensive Charlotte home, he was going to sell, when two men walked up to him.

"Soon, the three men began spending time together, and Johnson says he introduced Ealy and Jones to his business connections and friends," Michael Gordon wrote for the Charlotte Observer. "All the while, he claims the pair were pressuring him to invest in their plans to breed and sell Boerboels, which can weigh more than 200 pounds. They told him many Panthers players were eager to buy a pup, and that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police planned to use the dog exclusively. They promised their business would clear $35,000 a litter and more than $1 million a year."

The duo needed $6,000 from Johnson, who gave them $3,000 for a breeding female, according to the report. After the plan allegedly stalled, Johnson allegedly asked for a refund but did not receive it.

"Ealy could not be reached for comment. Attorney Kenneth Raynor says the player and his brother "dispute the allegations ... and I plan on vigorously defending the lawsuit," Gordon wrote.

Ealy, who was selected No. 60 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, has nine sacks and four forced fumbles in 31 career games for the Panthers. Ealy totaled three sacks, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and an interception in the Super Bowl.