A man accused of scamming NFL players has been found dead.
Mohamed Coulibaly, a 24-year-old entrepreneur accused of selling professional athletes stakes in questionable ecommerce stores, was discovered inside the swimming pool of a New Jersey home. According to 6abc Action News, officers found Coulibaly while conducting a welfare check at a Harrison Township residence after relatives raised concerns about his well being.
Authorities are now investigating Coulibaly’s death, but they have not publicly announced a cause or manner of death. Officials have also not said that foul play is suspected or connected his death to the athletes, investors, or business disputes surrounding him. A spokesperson for the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office had not released further details.
His death comes weeks after a Barron’s investigation accused Coulibaly of recruiting professional athletes to purchase ownership interests in Shopify powered web stores that appeared to generate steady sales. Three former NFL players told the publication that they collectively lost more than $1 million through separate investments connected to Coulibaly.
The investors allegedly received login information that allowed them to monitor their stores through Shopify dashboards. According to Barron’s, those dashboards displayed orders and revenue that gave the businesses the appearance of thriving online operations. The publication reported that many of the transactions appeared to have been manually entered by someone with access to the stores rather than created by actual customers purchasing products.
That alleged activity became a major part of the case against the man accused of scamming NFL players. The athletes believed they were watching their investments grow in real time, but Barron’s reported that the displayed sales could be entered through administrative tools available to store operators. The outlet said its review included investor contracts, merchant dashboards, store traffic, and conversations with the former athletes.
Former New York Giants linebacker Tae Crowder is the only alleged victim publicly identified in the latest television reporting. Crowder told 6abc Action News that he met Coulibaly through a friend and became comfortable after seeing him around several people he knew. Crowder said conversations about investments eventually led him to place his entire savings into one of Coulibaly’s stores.
Crowder said that investment totaled $500,000.
“I saw him hanging out with a bunch of different guys that I know, which you know made me feel comfortable,” Crowder told 6abc. He said he repeatedly logged into the store and watched the displayed activity increase, but the payout he expected never arrived.
His account shows how trust allegedly moved through familiar sports relationships rather than traditional financial verification. Coulibaly was not simply approaching athletes as a stranger with a random online pitch. According to Crowder, he appeared connected to people within the same professional and social circles, which helped make the opportunity feel credible.
Barron’s reported that investors were allegedly offered ready made ecommerce stores in exchange for investments beginning around $50,000. The agreements reportedly promised that investors would receive their principal back after six months while keeping 80 percent of the profits generated through their stores. When the promised returns failed to arrive, Coulibaly allegedly offered investors a series of explanations for the delays.
The accusations against the man accused of scamming NFL players extended beyond individual websites. Barron’s reported that Coulibaly later promoted a proposed $215 million acquisition involving his company, Motion Ventures, and Middle East Venture Partners. Investors were allegedly encouraged to provide additional funding for more stores in exchange for a portion of the expected acquisition proceeds.
The publication also examined an alleged escrow agreement connected to the proposed deal. Barron’s reported that the document identified a JPMorgan Chase wealth adviser as an escrow agent. Chase reportedly told the publication that the agreement did not come from the bank. Middle East Venture Partners did not respond to Barron’s requests for comment about the proposed acquisition.
Several athletes told Barron’s that the presence of former Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim increased their confidence in the operation. The players said Keim participated in video calls where the investment opportunities were discussed. Coulibaly told Barron’s that Keim served as the chief operating officer of Motion Ventures and helped coordinate with factories, vendors, and potential clients.
Keim was not accused in the reporting of manually creating store transactions or falsifying documents. A Klutch Sports representative told Barron’s that he was no longer employed by the agency. Keim did not provide additional comment following Coulibaly’s death, according to the publication.
Coulibaly denied operating a scam before he died. He told Barron’s that its analysis of the ecommerce activity resulted from a misunderstanding of the technology. Coulibaly also claimed investors had not received their expected returns because he had not received money associated with the planned acquisition of his company.
Those denials remain important because no court had ruled that Coulibaly committed fraud. According to 6abc, no criminal charges had been filed against him in connection with the alleged scheme as of August 6. The former athletes’ allegations were reported through interviews and investigative findings, but they were not resolved through a criminal conviction or final civil judgment before his death.
Sonn Law Group has announced that it is reviewing potential claims involving Coulibaly, Motion Ventures, Motion Apparelz, and related ecommerce businesses. The firm said the allegations described in the Barron’s investigation have not been proven in court and that Coulibaly disputed portions of the reporting.
Coulibaly’s death may make the search for answers more complicated. Former players still want to know where their money went, who controlled the stores, whether the displayed customers were real, and whether any remaining assets can be recovered.
At the same time, the death investigation remains separate from the financial allegations unless authorities establish otherwise. No public evidence currently links Coulibaly’s death to the athletes, the alleged ecommerce operation, or any person who claimed to have lost money.
The story now sits at the intersection of money, access, celebrity proximity, and trust. The athletes were allegedly presented with dashboards that looked active, business relationships that appeared legitimate, and familiar names that made the opportunity feel safer. Now, the man accused of scamming NFL players is dead, the official cause remains undisclosed, and the investors who trusted him are left searching for both their money and the full truth.
