Undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather is facing two felony charges in Las Vegas. Prosecutors allege that he wrote a bad check to purchase a luxury timepiece from a high-end resale store.
Mayweather was scheduled for an initial court appearance on Monday in the Las Vegas Justice Court.
The 49-year-old fighter did not physically appear in the courtroom. Instead, an attorney represented him on his behalf, according to the Clark County District Attorney’s office. The judge has scheduled the next formal hearing for September.
The Luxury Watch Allegations
Court records show that prosecutors officially charged Mayweather with theft and intent to defraud. Specifically, the charges are “theft, value $100,000 (KSH 13,000,000) or greater” and “drawing or passing a check without sufficient funds.” If convicted of the grand theft charge, he could face significant prison time.
The criminal complaint alleges that the incident occurred on New Year’s Eve in December 2024. Mayweather reportedly wrote a $200,000 (KSH 26,000,000) check through Wells Fargo Bank. He used it to purchase an Audemars Piguet watch from the Las Vegas designer resale boutique, Gold and Beyond.
However, authorities state that Mayweather had insufficient funds, property, or credit in his account to cover the amount. Marc Cook, an attorney representing Gold and Beyond, stated that they filed an official complaint after trying to give Mayweather every opportunity to pay.
“The reason for the delay is that my guy trusted Mayweather and was trying to give him every opportunity to make good on that,” Cook said. “And it got to the point where he wasn’t getting responses and wasn’t getting money for a watch that Mayweather had for well over a year.”
Mayweather’s defense attorney, Adrian Lobo, countered by stating her client had “absolutely no intent to defraud” the boutique. She noted that Mayweather maintains a long-standing business relationship with the shop’s owner and looks forward to being vindicated in court.
Background: A History of Financial and Legal Disputes
While Mayweather frequently boasts about his immense wealth, this felony case adds to a growing list of parallel financial legal battles.
- Active IRS Tax Lien: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has filed a $7.3 million (KSH 949,000,000) tax lien against Mayweather over unpaid federal taxes.
- Manhattan Rent Lawsuit: Earlier this year, landlords sued Mayweather in New York over his alleged failure to pay rent at a luxury Manhattan apartment.
- Jeweler Financial Disputes: Mayweather is currently embroiled in separate civil disputes with multiple luxury jewelers regarding outstanding balances for high-end items.
- Counter-Lawsuit: On the offensive side of his legal strategy, Mayweather has filed his own massive lawsuit in New York against his former business manager, alleging a years-long fraud scheme.
Despite these compounding legal pressures, the former five-division world champion announced plans to return to the ring for a series of competitive boxing exhibitions.
