Former world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is facing felony charges in Nevada over allegations that he used a bad cheque to purchase a luxury wristwatch, while also dealing with a reported federal tax lien worth approximately $7.3 million.
Key highlight:
- Former boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is facing felony charges in Nevada over an alleged $200,000 luxury watch purchase made with a cheque that reportedly bounced.
- Prosecutors claim Mayweather obtained the watch from Gold & Beyond in December 2024 despite allegedly knowing there were insufficient funds in the account.
- He has been charged with theft and passing a cheque with intent to defraud, offences that could carry significant penalties under Nevada law, including a possible prison sentence if convicted.
- Attorney Marc Cook, representing Gold & Beyond, said the jeweller delayed legal action because it expected the dispute to be resolved, but the payment was never made.
- The case has also drawn attention to a reported $7.3 million federal tax lien filed by the Internal Revenue Service over alleged unpaid taxes. Mayweather has not publicly commented on either matter and remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
According to court records obtained by ESPN and other U.S. media outlets, the 49-year-old has been charged with theft and passing a cheque with intent to defraud in connection with the alleged purchase of a $200,000 luxury watch from Las Vegas jeweller Gold & Beyond in December 2024.
Prosecutors allege that the cheque failed to clear because the account lacked sufficient funds and that Mayweather obtained the watch despite knowing the payment would not be honoured. He has not publicly commented on the allegations.
Under Nevada law, the theft charge carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years if a defendant is convicted, although penalties vary depending on the circumstances of the case and sentencing guidelines.
Marc Cook, an attorney representing Gold & Beyond, said the company initially delayed pursuing legal action because it expected the matter to be resolved amicably.
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“My client trusted Mayweather and was trying to give him every opportunity to make good on that,” Cook said, adding that the payment was never made despite repeated efforts to resolve the dispute.
The criminal case has also renewed attention on Mayweather’s financial affairs. Reports indicate that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service has filed a federal tax lien of about $7.3 million against the retired boxer over alleged unpaid taxes from previous years.
Mayweather retired from professional boxing with an undefeated 50-0 record and earned hundreds of millions of dollars during his career, becoming one of the sport’s highest-paid athletes. Despite the current legal proceedings, he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Mayweather’s legal representatives have not issued any public statement regarding either the criminal charges or the tax lien.
