Mohamed Coulibaly Found Dead in New Jersey Amid NFL Investment Scam

Mohamed Coulibaly, a 24‑year‑old alleged orchestrator of a multimillion‑dollar e‑commerce investment scheme that targeted current and former NFL players, was discovered dead in a swimming pool at a home in Harrison Township, Mullica Hill, New Jersey, on July 31. Police were conducting a welfare check after family members reported concerns for his well‑being. Authorities have not released a cause of death and are continuing the investigation.

The scheme, reported by Barron’s Magazine, involved selling stakes in Shopify‑powered online stores that appeared to generate strong sales. Barron’s journalist Jacob Adelman said the sales figures were “manually input by somebody with access to the backend” to create the illusion of profitability. At least three former NFL players lost more than $1 million combined, including former New York Giants linebacker Tae Crowder, who invested $500,000 of his savings. Crowder said he felt comfortable investing after seeing Coulibaly’s connections and monitoring the store’s reported numbers.

Coulibaly denied the allegations, describing the situation as a “misunderstanding” and claiming investors had not been paid because a planned acquisition fell through. No criminal charges had been filed against him prior to his death. The incident has raised concerns about fraud targeting professional athletes and prompted ongoing law‑enforcement scrutiny.