Carolina Panthers’ Kony Ealy dogged by lawsuit over big pooch breed
Carolina Panthers defensive lineman Kony Ealy is the subject of a weird, little lawsuit filed by a former Mecklenburg (N.C.) sports bar owner. Kris Johnson says Ealy and his brother, Danny “Dogman” Jones, conned him out of $3,000. The nickname is relevant — the dispute revolves around a dog.
Not just any dog. According to the December complaint, Johnson paid half the price for an African Boerboel — a breed that can weigh 200 pounds.
Johnson claims Ealy and Jones befriended him and pressured him to invest in their plans to sell the rare breed of dog. All they needed, the suit says, was $6,000 from Johnson for a breeding female.
Johnson said he was interested but not that interested. On July 12, he wrote a $3,000 check — and then … well, the venture was flagged for delay of game. No dog. No breeding. No pups.
The plaintiff says he repeatedly asked for a refund before his partners stopped taking his calls.
Ealy could not be reached for comment. His attorney said Ealy and his brother dispute the allegations.
This story was originally published February 13, 2016 at 8:38 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers’ Kony Ealy dogged by lawsuit over big pooch breed."