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Baseball ‘Agent’ Sued For Fraud By Yankees Minor League Player

Baseball players beware; not every person holding himself out as a baseball agent actually has the capacity to help you progress your career.  New York Yankees Minor League Baseball (MiLB) player Angelo Gumbs found that out the hard way, according to a complaint that he has filed against an individual he claims stole upward of $100,000 throughout the term of his representation.

Per Larry Altman of the Daily Breeze, Gumbs filed the lawsuit last Thursday against Richard Earl Davis Jr., who claimed to be an experienced baseball agent in an effort to steal Gumbs’ signing bonus money.  Davis’ LinkedIn profile indicates that he is a Division Director of Robert Half, a professional staffing and consulting services firm, and owner of Two6 Sports Management since February 2008.  Nothing is known about Two6 Sports Management; however, it appears that it is now a named defendant along with Davis in the lawsuit filed by Gumbs.

Gumbs was selected in the second round of the 2010 MLB Rule 4 Draft and received a $750,000 for signing out of Torrance High School instead of attending college.

Allegations made by Gumbs against Davis include that he was provided money to create a website and video that were never established, he convinces Gumbs and his wife to invest $45,000 in a business venture operated by a person who did not exist and that Davis purchased a car from Gumbs, but only paid him $10,000 of the $45,000 purchase price.

After a bit of research, Gumbs determined that Davis was not a certified MLB Players Association agent, but is alleged to have held himself out as same.  Gumbs later found out that David used falsified addresses as well.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

2 replies on “Baseball ‘Agent’ Sued For Fraud By Yankees Minor League Player”

So who’s the one/agent of record. Also, if it is Davis,why did Yankees negotiate with him and aren’t they liable too?

Unfortunately, the only person liable is the supposed agent who pawned himself as being one. The Yankees as well as other teams are free to negotiate with whomever the player designates…it could be a player’s dad, uncle or brother…doesn’t matter. What’s sad is this young man was taken advantage of my this scum agent….I’m an agent myself and wish this agent all the Karma in the world and then some!

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