While O.J. Simpson is sitting in his jail cell serving a nine-to-33-year prison sentence, the Associated Press reports that the 64-year-old inmate is about to lose his home in Florida to foreclosure. It stated that Miami-Dade Circuit Court records show that JPMorgan Chase filed for foreclosure in September.
The former football star who many feel got away with the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Simpson, and her companion Ronald Goldman, purchased the 4,233-square-foot house in 2000 for $575,000, and records show it is worth $478,401 today, including $9,000 in property taxes.
Although Simpson was acquitted of the murder charges, a civil jury in California later ordered him to pay $33.5 million for Goldman’s wrongful death. The ex-athlete was eventually convicted of kidnapping, armed robbery and other charges stemming from a 2007 incident in Las Vegas. He’s appealed the conviction, and is currently serving out his prison term at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada.
Another former famed athlete who was facing foreclosure on his Miami, Florida home was Antoine Walker who spent 15 years in the NBA. Walker was said to have earned $110 million over the course of his career, but in 2010 had to file for bankruptcy. His gambling problem and a 2009 arrest were said to be the main cause of his financial troubles.
Last year it was reported that SunTrust Bank was suing Walker for foreclosure on the Coconut Grove neighborhood home, and the former Boston Celtics star was forced to put the home up for sale with a price cut of 34%. It had originally been listed at 3 million but was dropped to 1.995 million.
Former Oakland Raiders’ quarterback, Jamarcus Russell blamed everyone but himself for his failed NFL career. After being let go by the team in 2009 for ingesting an illegal substance, he returned to his home state of Alabama. He had purchased a mansion in the ritzy Oakland hills in 2007 for $3 million, before he’d even signed a contract with the team.
Last March foreclosure proceedings began after he was allegedly behind nearly $200,000 in mortgage payments. During an interview with Sports Illustrated this past fall, the athlete said he refused to consider options that have been presented to him that would allow him to prove himself and rebuild his reputation, including the UFL and CFL, as well as bring in some much needed cash.