Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, and alleged accomplice Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, have been charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud after federal investigators say the pair collected approximately $1.3 million from at least 26 women in California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. The FBI says it believes there are additional victims who have not yet come forward.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, the alleged scheme began in February 2022 and continued for more than four years, ending only when Love and Chan were apprehended at Boise Airport in Idaho on August 24. Federal authorities allege Love created fictitious personas and cultivated the appearance of extraordinary wealth, frequently presenting himself as either an NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers or a successful real estate investor.
Love's public-facing persona was apparently carefully constructed. Social media photographs showed him dressed in 49ers apparel, around luxury vehicles and otherwise projecting the lifestyle of a professional athlete, while prosecutors say he met most of the women targeted in the alleged scheme through dating apps and developed romantic relationships with many of them.
SanDiegoVille has also identified social media activity showing Love spending time in the San Diego area, including videos posted from local beaches. Federal authorities have confirmed that California was among the states where women were allegedly defrauded and that Love traveled through California during the final weeks before his arrest, although publicly released federal documents do not specify whether any of the 26 currently identified victims were from San Diego County or establish that alleged fraudulent transactions occurred here.
Prosecutors allege the relationships were a central part of the operation. Love allegedly convinced numerous women that their romances were genuine, told them he wanted to build a wealthy future together and represented that Chan was his financial adviser who had helped him accumulate a fortune worth tens of millions of dollars.
Chan allegedly played an active supporting role rather than merely appearing in the background. Investigators say he posed as Love's investment adviser, exchanged staged investment-related messages with Love and participated in three-way FaceTime calls during which the pair allegedly showed women fabricated investment gains and encouraged them to put additional money into purported opportunities.
The investments, according to federal prosecutors, did not exist. Love allegedly used phone applications to manufacture fake bank and investment accounts displaying enormous balances, while screenshots of purported conversations with Chan were passed along to victims as additional evidence that Love was the successful investor he claimed to be.
The allegations became particularly damaging for women who did not have readily available money. Prosecutors say Love sometimes encouraged victims to take out personal loans so they could invest or lend him additional funds, promising they would quickly be repaid. Investigators say none of the identified and interviewed victims reported receiving investment proceeds, returns of principal or even legitimate investment-account information after turning over their money.
Once a woman ran out of money or began asking too many questions, prosecutors allege Love simply cut her off. Federal authorities say he blocked communications while retaining the money, and financial records reviewed during the investigation allegedly show approximately $1.3 million flowing to Love and Chan from victim investors.
Love also allegedly operated under a rotating collection of identities. The Justice Department says names he has used in furtherance of the alleged scheme include Jon Love, Daejon Love, Avril Lyto Love and Jordan Love, potentially complicating efforts to determine the full universe of people who encountered him online or in person.
The investigation remained active almost until the moment of the arrests. Federal warrants and a criminal complaint were issued August 17, and investigators say Chan flew from California to Boise on August 24 to meet Love. Authorities apprehended both men at Boise Airport and say they learned Love was in Idaho for the purpose of meeting new prospective victims.
Investigators also reconstructed an unusually extensive travel pattern immediately before the arrests. From July 15 through August 24 alone, authorities say Love traveled through New Mexico, California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah and Idaho, underscoring the multistate nature of the investigation and raising the possibility that people outside the presently identified victim pool may have encountered him.
The San Diego connection could therefore prove particularly relevant as investigators search for additional potential victims. While Love's presence in the area and beach-related social media posts do not themselves establish that anyone in San Diego was defrauded, the FBI has made clear that it does not believe the 26 identified women necessarily represent the full scope of the alleged operation.
Federal authorities are specifically asking anyone with information about Love or Chan to contact investigators. Tips may be submitted through the FBI's online tip portal or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Love and Chan remain accused, not convicted. The charges contained in the federal criminal complaint are allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Originally published on August 28, 2026.