Floyd Mayweather built one of the loudest luxury brands in sports, but now a $200,000 watch purchase has pulled him into a felony case in Las Vegas.
The new Mayweather charges center on allegations that the retired boxing champion passed a bad check to buy an Audemars Piguet watch from Gold and Beyond, a high-end Las Vegas resale boutique. According to ESPN, Nevada court records show Mayweather is facing two felony counts tied to theft and passing a check with alleged intent to defraud. His attorney appeared at a Clark County court hearing Monday, while Mayweather was not present.
Prosecutors filed the initial criminal complaint on April 27, followed by an order for Mayweather to appear before a judge. The complaint reportedly says Mayweather wrote a $200,000 check from a Wells Fargo account on December 31, 2024, days after the watch purchase receipt was dated December 25, 2024. The allegation is simple but serious: prosecutors claim the check could not be fully covered when presented.
Marc Cook, an attorney for Gold and Beyond, told ESPN his client waited before going to prosecutors because he trusted Mayweather and gave him “every opportunity to make good on that.” Cook said the store ultimately filed with the Clark County District Attorney’s Office in February after attempts to resolve the issue failed.
Under Nevada law, passing a check for $1,200 or more with intent to defraud can be charged as a category D felony, while theft involving property valued at $100,000 or more can carry far steeper penalties. Nevada law lists punishment for theft at that level as one to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000, plus restitution.
The timing makes the case even messier. Mayweather is also facing civil claims tied to unpaid luxury bills. Miami New Times reported that AJ’s Jewelry sued him over an alleged $1.375 million balance for watches and gold chains. Separately, former landlords of a Baccarat Hotel and Residences condo in Manhattan sued Mayweather over more than $330,000 in alleged unpaid rent and damages.
There are more financial disputes in the pile. Jet Set Aircraft reportedly sued Mayweather over an alleged $105,000 private jet bill, and Business Insider reported that the IRS filed a $7.3 million lien tied to unpaid taxes from 2018 and 2023.
Mayweather also has older criminal history in Nevada. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to a reduced battery domestic violence charge and no contest to two harassment charges, receiving a 90-day jail sentence. That case is separate from the current watch allegation, but it adds context to why another courtroom headline around Mayweather travels fast.
For now, Mayweather has not been convicted in the new case. ESPN reported that neither his attorney nor the Clark County District Attorney’s Office was immediately available for comment. He is also scheduled for a June 27 exhibition against Mike Zambidis in Athens, Greece, which turns this from a local bad-check case into another global headline following “Money” wherever he goes.
