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A former NFL player is trying to salvage his reputation after he was blamed for orchestrating an alleged fake hate crime.
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On Thursday, Edawn Louis Coughman was arrested and charged with destroying his own Atlanta business and then allegedly staging it to look like a hate crime.
A few weeks ago, police received a call that a burglary was in progress at Create and Bake Pizza and Coughman’s Creamery.
“It appears as though Edawn conjured a premeditated plan to damage his own property, attempt to make it appear as a hate crime, file a claim with his insurance company, and sell off the undamaged appliances and electronics,” police said in a statement.
He was charged with filing a false report of a crime, insurance fraud and concealing a license plate.
Coughman formerly played for NFL teams including the Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
On Wednesday, Coughman sat down with WSBTV to give his side of the story and plead his innocence.
“I had good businesses going. I have nothing now,” he said. “I’m innocent.”
A reporter asked him how he feels abut being compared to Jussie Smollett, who was charged with staging a fake hate crime earlier this year.
“You’ve seen online where you are compared to Jussie Smollett. How does that feel?” Mark Winne asked.
“I feel like it’s disrespectful,” Coughman said.
“I challenge the Gwinnett County Police Department. If you think he’s guilty of insurance fraud, I ask that you prove it because you’ll never be able to prove it,” Coughman’s defense lawyer Jackie Patterson said.
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Inside Coughman’s business there was racist writings spray-painted on the wall, including “MAGA” messaging, swastikas and more.
Police claim Coughman crafted a “premeditated plan to damage his own property” and “attempt to make it appear as a hate crime.”
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