NFL players claim bank illegally took $60 million from their accounts

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Some 16 NFL players have sued the South Florida branch of a bank they claim fraudulently transferred more than $60 million from their accounts.

The suit alleges Branch Banking and Trust Co. assisted in making many unauthorized transactions on their accounts, some of which had been opened through forgery, Courthouse News Service reported Monday.

Many of the transactions involved an Alabama casino project, County Crossing, that failed after a court found it to be illegal.

The athletes claim financial advisers at Pro Sports Financial opened accounts for them at the bank, and later forged their signatures to open additional accounts the players knew nothing about. Money from the athletes''s legitimate accounts was then transferred into the illicit accounts, the suit alleges.

BB&T then allowed "numerous unusual, suspicious and extraordinary withdrawals" from the illicit accounts, the suit claims.

Pro Sports is not named in the suit, which seeks a return of the players' money and punitive damages.

Players named as plaintiffs are Jamaal Anderson, Jacob Bell, Derrick Gaffney, Tavares Gooden, Frank Gore, Santonio Holmes, Greg Jones, Jevon Kearse, Kenard Lang, Ray Lewis, Brandon Meriweather, Santana Moss, Clinton Portis, Lito Sheppard, Fred Taylor and Gerard Warren.

Thirteen of the players live in Florida.