NFL Players arrest thread
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The body of a woman missing in the Dominican Republic since 2021 was discovered earlier this year on a property that was owned by NFL veteran Michael Pennel Jr. at the time she disappeared, two Dominican sources close to the investigation told ESPN.
The sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Pennel is considered a person of interest in the case.
An attorney for Pennel said the player did not know the woman and was not in the country at the time she disappeared. In a text message response to ESPN, Pennel labeled the story "fake news."
Carli Franchesca Guzmán Roche was 22 when she was declared missing Sept. 13, 2021, after recently moving to the northern coastal tourist town of Sosúa, where Pennel had a home in a gated community. The national attorney general's office said in a statement that she had not been heard from since Sept. 5 and that the search for her covered the entire province of Puerto Plata.
Two sources close to the investigation said Pennel sold his property last year, and the body was discovered while a worker was digging a trench in January. Guzmán's body was only recently identified after officials compared her DNA to a sample from her son, who is now 8.
Officials did not release a cause of death, but the attorney general's office said authorities are pursuing Guzmán's case as a homicide.
Responding to a text, Pennel said, "This isn't a story. I'm not legally involved. This is fake news being reported. I'd advise you to speak with my agent/lawyer ... before writing a false story. Damaging my reputation."
Pennel, 34, played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals last season and is a free agent.
His Dominican attorney, Alexander Valbuena, said Pennel asked his lawyers "to offer his full cooperation to the Dominican authorities and help clarify the situation."
Pennel told ESPN on Saturday morning that he has not been contacted by Dominican authorities.
Michael Pennel Jr. played eight games each for the Bengals and Chiefs in 2025. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
The attorney general's office characterized the case, which was reopened after Guzmán was identified, as being in an early stage. The office said "foreigners" were being interviewed in the investigation.
The Dominican sources did not say if there were other persons of interest.
"It is also important to clarify that we are already in communication with the authorities to clarify the situation, as Mr. [Pennel's] primary concern and interest has been to get to the bottom of this since he learned of it," Valbuena said.
At the time of Guzmán's disappearance, Pennel was between teams, having been released Aug. 31, 2021, by the Chicago Bears. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 15, two days after Guzmán was declared missing.
Guzmán's grandmother, Paula González, told ESPN that police never told her who owned the property where Guzmán's remains were found or whom they might suspect in her death. Asked why her granddaughter might have been at the property, González said she had "no idea at all."
"She was pretty, a student, very loving," González said. "Everyone loved her. She had lots of friends."
Pennel has had a number of legal and administrative issues in the past. NFL records say he was suspended for violating the league's substance abuse policy three times, twice in 2016 and once in 2020, He was sued in 2024 by the widow of NFL quarterback Dwayne Haskins, accusing him of defrauding her out of $275,000 in a dog breeding business he operated in the Dominican Republic.
Pennel also was recently in a public spat with social media influencer and singer Jhonni Blaze, who accused him of physically abusing her. Pennel denied the accusation and accused Blaze of trying to extort money from him. Neither one said they reported their accusations to law enforcement.
Pennel's Instagram account was deactivated Thursday after unsubstantiated accounts connecting him to Guzmán's death began appearing in the Dominican press and on social media.
Ex-NFL linebacker convicted of $8M Ponzi scheme should have league benefits garnished, feds say
John Robert Leake of Marina Del Ray played for the Atlanta Falcons and briefly for the Green Bay Packers in 2005 and 2006, but by September 2024 had pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and money l…
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A former NFL linebacker who ran an $8 million Ponzi scheme by promising investors big returns on gold mines and other real estate deals should have his benefits from the league garnished, according to the feds.
John Robert Leake of Marina Del Ray played for the Atlanta Falcons and briefly for the Green Bay Packers in 2005 and 2006, but by September 2024 had pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges.
John Robert Leake played two years in the NFL.Getty Images
Leake, now 44, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the scheme, in which he convinced friends and others to invest with him in exotic sounding ventures such as the purported mines in Africa and Alaska.
In reality he used the money to fund a gambling addiction, and racked up more than $5.3 million in losses the feds say he’s yet to pay back.
Now authorities are seeking to garnish any payments Leake may receive from the NFL Benefits Office to pay the debt, according to papers filed this week in a California federal court, which did not specify how much the league may be paying out to the former player.
A lawyer for Leake, who is serving his time in a federal prison in Maryland and was due to be released in October, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Everything you wanted to know about the Stefon Diggs trial (but were afraid to ask)
Julian Edelman’s battles didn’t end the day he retired from the NFL. The New England Patriots icon currently deals with a situation that could have been avoided.
Edelman spent 12 years helping a Boston ad agency build its portfolio and reputation, bringing in clients and attending multiple events, as his business partner made it clear they were building it together.
However, when the company was sold for $50 million in 2025, Edelman didn’t receive any proceeds. In fact, he didn’t learn about the company sale until later. Now, he’s suing that friend for $50 million.
Julian Edelman Sues Former Best Friend
On April 17, 2026, Julian Edelman filed a civil complaint in Suffolk County Superior Court against Assaf Swissa. Swissa founded the Boston-based digital advertising agency Superdigital LLC. Edelman alleges his former partner cut him out of the sale and kept the money.
The lawsuit alleges that Swissa referred to Edelman as his partner.
“When Swissa decided to capitalize on the value he grew on Edelman’s back,” the lawsuit says, via NBC Boston 10. “He cut Edelman out from the proceeds entirely.”
The three-time Super Bowl champion didn’t receive a heads-up about the sale. He confronted Swissa, leading to this alleged exchange:
Edelman: “I’ve gone to bat for you for years; I helped you build that company and got you a lot of your deals; you couldn’t pay me anything?”
Swissa: “We’re best friends and shouldn’t say things right now while we’re emotional. We’ll revisit this at the appropriate time.”
Edelman seeks damages and a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of Superdigital.
Day 2 of the Stefon Diggs trial didn’t take long to bring new, shocking details. The trial had a strong start on Monday.
The parties showed up in court for jury selection and opening statements on Monday. The player did not speak, but his accuser, Jamila Adams, did so. After revealing that she had a relationship with Diggs, which involved intimacy,
A clip of the woman dancing after Diggs allegedly attacked her went viral on Monday. As big as that looked, it wasn’t the only revelation the jury would know.
Former Stefon Diggs’ Personal Chef Allegedly Demanded $5.5 Million From the Wide Receiver
Things took another turn on Tuesday. The former New England Patriots’ team questioned Adams about an alleged $5.5 million demand, TMZ Sports reported.
“Mr. Diggs offered me $100,000 to recant my statement. That is the only –,” she said when questioned about the $5.5 million demand before the judge interrupted her with a motion to strike.
View: https://x.com/NFL_DovKleiman/status/2051672267101233287?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2051672267101233287%7Ctwgr%5Ecc43dfb103af3bf993f9a1cde2f296cc2c6ea46c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.totalprosports.com%2Fnfl%2Fstefon-diggs-trial-takes-shocking-5-5m-turn-on-day-2%2F
The judge ensured that the jury understood that Adams’ response couldn’t be considered during deliberation. They also warned Adams that her testimony could be of no use if she didn’t answer questions properly and directly.
“Ms. Adams, three weeks ago, your lawyer demanded $5.5 million from Stefon Diggs, correct?” Diggs’ attorney asked.
Adams responded by saying she could not speak on that. Additionally, she said she couldn’t answer whether someone on her behalf made the demand.
It seems that Adams has taken two big blows in two days.
Marcellus Wiley accused of sexual assault by four women, including ex-ESPN employee
The former Pro Bowler and ex-ESPN and Fox Sports personality has been accused of sexual assault by four individuals.
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Former NFL Pro Bowler and ex-ESPN and Fox Sports personality Marcellus Wiley has been accused of sexual assault by four individuals, including a former ESPN production assistant, according to Rolling Stone.
The alleged victims reportedly filed the lawsuit in New York in April, and they join three individuals who previously sued the 51-year-old for allegedly raping them in 1994 while he attended Columbia.
The first lawsuit emerged in 2023, followed by the latter two in 2025.
Wiley labeled the first lawsuit as “BS” in 2023, and his lawyers denied the allegations of rape and/or sexual assault in a 2024 court filing, according to Rolling Stone.
The previous accusations tie into these latest allegations since this quartet claimed that Columbia “hid the rapes by Wiley,” thus “enabling him to enjoy a reputation of safety, respect, and integrity, thereby endangering women” who later encountered him, according to Rolling Stone.
The latest allegations span a wide range.
Two of the accusers reportedly allege Wiley sexually assaulted them from 1995-99 in California, another claims Wiley began “grooming me” when she was 13 years old before a sexual encounter years later while he was in the NFL and the former ESPN production assistant alleged that Wiley tricked her into coming to his room under the pretense of a work meeting before sexually assaulting her.
The individual who alleges Wiley courted her at a young age said their interactions began during Wiley’s time with the Bills from 1997-99, according to Rolling Stone, beginning with a middle school visit.
“Wiley drove towards me, slowed down, and pulled over. He lowered the window, called me by name, and asked me to come over,” she wrote, per Rolling Stone.
The accuser further claims that Wiley gave her his email and eventually free tickets, plus an invitation to his Orchard Park, N.Y. residence.
Wiley allegedly called her “little momma” and would invite her over to help clean his CD collection, per the report, and routinely pampered her with gifts.
“Wiley frequently mentioned his sociology degree from Columbia University, which led me to believe he was respected and trustworthy. He gave me the same CDs to clean over and over,” she reportedly wrote.
“My whole identity was wrapped up in the belief that I would eventually marry Wiley,” she wrote.
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She alleges that Wiley flew her to Dallas — he played for the Cowboys in 2004 — when she turned 18, and shouted at her before allegedly raping her.
“Marcellus Wiley raped me on my 18th birthday, after grooming me from the age of 13,” she claimed in her statement, according to Rolling Stone.
“If Columbia had properly pursued the complaints… I would never have been groomed and raped.”
The ex-ESPN staffer alleges that Wiley had her visit his hotel room in 2009 under false pretenses and he came out of the bathroom naked after she entered the room before assaulting her.
“He pushed me up against the windows of the room so hard I thought they would shatter,” she wrote, per the outlet. “I was petrified and believed I was going to be killed.”
The individual alleges Wiley forced her onto a bed and masturbated onto her despite her pleas to stop.
“The assault was devastating to me, and I will live with the effects to this day,” the woman wrote, according to Rolling Stone.
The two other alleged victims both claim Wiley raped them in California in the 1990s.
The first alleges that Wiley raped her at her mother’s Culver City, Calif. apartment in the late 1990s, stating he “overpowered me and raped me.”
“Afterward, I felt humiliated and shamed…so I never told anyone,” she wrote, per Rolling Stone.
The fourth woman claims Wiley raped her at a hotel in 1999 while she was a senior at USC, according to the report, and further alleged that she told LAPD and was later contacted by the police years later, although the investigation did not result in any charges.
These new allegations are part of what Rolling Stone described as a “push” by one of the first accusers to turn the lawsuit into a class action against both Wiley and Columbia, with a hearing set for May 12.
Lawyer Laura Gentile alleged that Columbia knew about the allegations but instead only placed him on “academic probation,” according to the outlet.
“By promoting, protecting, and elevating a sexual predator… Columbia University created a false image of Wiley… thereby enabling Wiley’s vicious propensity to rape/assault women,” Gentile wrote, per Rolling Stone.
Wiley earned All-American honors while playing for Columbia, emerging as one of the best players in program history before becoming a second-round pick with the Bills in 1997.
He played in the NFL from 1997-2006, spending time with the Bills, Chargers, Cowboys and Jaguars.
Wiley ultimately joined ESPN in 2007, according to his Fox Sports bio, before heading to FS1 in 2018. He left the network in 2022 and later began hosting his “More To It” podcast.
He is married to “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Annemarie Wiley.
