Jarrius “JJ” Robertson came into the spotlight as a Saints Superfan who was suffering from rare liver disease.
It didn’t just catch the eye of the Saints, but also LSU, WWE, and many more people across the world. His father Jordy started a charitable foundation on his son’s behalf called “It Takes Lives to Save Lives” foundation.
That is when it went all off the rails.
The father of a local sports superfan fighting a rare liver illness received an eight-year federal prison sentence in New Orleans on Tuesday after admitting that he stole as much as $150,000 in donations made to help his son, according to court officials.
The elder Robertson acknowledged diverting between $95,000 and $150,000 from the foundation’s coffers to his own pockets, including about $70,000 in gifts from New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson, National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell and Ochsner Medical Center, which treated Jarrius’ condition.
Jarrius, who is now 19, has never been accused of wrongdoing. Instead, prosecutors said Robertson exploited his son’s medical condition for cash he then largely used to gamble at area casinos.
They also established that Robertson had sent the donations — coming through a GoFundMe account and personal giving — to bank accounts under his control, before spending the money on purchases and at regional casinos, mainly Kenner’s Treasure Chest.
Jordy told people he was using the money for medical expenses when in reality insurance covered all of Jarrius’ expenses.
Sad times.
Flip the page for Jarrius speaking on how his pops defrauded people.
