*Former NFL player Edawn Coughman has been accused of destroying his business and making it look like a hate crime, Atlanta authorities say.
Gwinett County police say the n-word, “monkey,” “MAGA” and swastikas were scrawled on the walls and booths of the two businesses, Create & Bake Pizza and Coughman’s Creamery in Lawrenceville.
The 31-year-old suspect allegedly trashed his businesses to fake a racially motivated burglary so he could file an insurance claim, CBS Atlanta affiliate WGCL-TV reports. Coughman was arrested on charges of filing a false report of a crime, insurance fraud, and concealing a license plate.
“Several booth cushions were sliced open. They also found broken mirrors, cut wires, and a damaged video surveillance system,” the police told CNN. “The smell of spray paint was very fresh. When officers touched it, the paint appeared wet.”
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Former NFL player Edawn Coughman accused of staging racially motivated burglary https://t.co/Efosr8kdlA pic.twitter.com/JJszdKuaH0
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 15, 2019
A day after he filed the report, police saw Coughman driving a car that matched a witness’s description.
Authorities discovered “several televisions in the bed of the truck and inside the cab” which reportedly were “still attached to the brackets with damaged drywall” from the ice cream shop. This prompted the police to arrest Coughman. Once they searched the vehicle, police also found a yellow crowbar and cans of black spray paint, per Complex. He was released on bail the day of his arrest.
“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,” the police report states.
The former offensive tackle played four seasons in the NFL from 2012-2016, last suiting up for the Arizona Cardinals.
“Coughman is presumed innocent like anyone else who is accused of a crime,” said Coughman’s attorney, Jackie Patterson.. “[D]on’t prejudge him without knowing all the facts.”
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