Dallas Turner’s anticipated sophomore season in the NFL is off to an ominous start.
Per a Tuesday report from the Star Tribune, the Minnesota Vikings’ young star was the victim of a banking fraud scheme that cost him about $240,000 in funds.
Turner reportedly received a call on Feb. 19 from an individual impersonating a JP Morgan Chase banker. Per the Tribune, he later that day went to a Chase branch in Eagan and transferred $120,000 to “Island Food Truck LLC.” That same day, Turner went to a different Chase Bank branch, in West St. Paul, and transferred another $120K to “CNL FL LLC.”
While Police Sgt. Rich Evans said the investigation “has identified several suspects,” only about $2,500 of the stolen money has been recovered, according to Paul Walsh of the Trib.
As a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Tuner is currently under contract with the Vikings for four years and $15.7 million. All of that money is fully guaranteed.
Still, this report is a brutal off–field distraction for a player hoping to make a sizable impact on Minnesota’s upcoming 2025 season. Turner spent his rookie season stuck behind a pair of All-Pro caliber EDGE defenders in Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. He was limited to just 310 total defensive snaps, and while that number should more than double in Year 2, the former Alabama Crimson Tide star remains third on Minnesota’s depth chart at his position.
The Vikings offer three fraud training sessions per year, per Walsh, and it’s unclear if Turner attended any of those trainings. This figures to be one of those life lessons that the 22-year-old learns the hard way, as transferring six figures to a company called “Island Food Truck LLC” has red flag written all over it.
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