Legendary boxer faces up to 20 years in prison for fraud

Floyd Mayweather, a former world champion in five weight classes, has been officially charged with two counts under the criminal code after he paid for a luxury Audemars Piguet watch in Las Vegas with an unsecured check for $200,000. 

Clark County prosecutors are charging the 49-year-old boxer with grand theft and intentionally writing a check without sufficient funds in his account. 

The incident occurred in late December 2024 at the luxury designer resale boutique Gold and Beyond, where the athlete used a Wells Fargo check to pay for the watch. The investigation established that at the time of the transaction, Mayweather was fully aware that he lacked sufficient funds or credit limit in his account, and the store owners had attempted for over a year to resolve the dispute amicably through formal claims before contacting law enforcement. At the first court hearing in Las Vegas, the boxer was represented by an attorney, and the next hearing is scheduled for September 2026; If found guilty under Nevada law, the American faces a potential prison sentence of 1 to 4 years for financial fraud and up to 20 years in prison for theft. It should be noted that this is not the star’s only financial problem, as the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had previously seized Mayweather’s assets due to a debt of more than $7.2 million.

ESPN reported this, citing court documents.

Former world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. has filed a civil lawsuit against the American television network Showtime. The legendary athlete accuses the defendants of involvement in large-scale financial fraud and is seeking $340 million in damages.