Saints assistant coach pleads guilty in real estate swindle

Lost and forgotten in the wake of the Vicodin-related allegations that engulfed the Saints in late April was a case that first arose in March.

Federal authorities named Saints assistant defensive line coach Travis Jones, who still appears on the team's official website as the holder of that specific position, in an indictment related to a real estate scam in Texas.

At the time, Jones' lawyer painted the coach as a victim.

Earlier this month, Jones pleaded guilty.

On June 1, Jones signed a "Factual Statement" that included a full confession as to his involvement in the fraudulent financing of two properties. His role, as admitted by Jones in the document, "was to make materially false statements on Loan Applications and other real estate documents in order to induce lending institutions to lend funds for the purchase of certain properties and to obtain a portion of these funds for personal use."

As to one property, Jones claimed he earned $75,000 per month in borrowing more than $920,000. As to the other property, he again claimed a monthly salary of $75,000 in connection with a loan in the amount of nearly $779,000.

For his role in the scam, Jones was paid $86,225.28 -- and the banks lost more than $1.148 million.

On June 23, Jones pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges. He'll be sentenced at a later date.

The transactions occurred before Jones worked for the Saints. At the time, he was employed by the Dolphins.

Over the weekend, Jones conducted a free youth football camp in Macon, Georgia. He's a native of, yes, Milledgeville.

The alleged ringleader, John Barry, has been charged in connection with a total of 114 properties. Jones' involvement was limited to the two situations as to which he pleaded guilty.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/06/29/saints-assistant-coach-pleads-guilty-in-real-estate-swindle/

Footnote.....

Travis Jones Football Camp Held in Wilkinson County

Young football players rarely have a chance to learn from a Super Bowl champion, but 175 Central Georgia kids did just that Friday from Wilkinson County native Travis Jones.

Jones is a D-Line coach for the New Orleans Saints, and brought his championship experience to Macon for a fifth year in the Travis Jones Football Camp.

Jones emphasizes teaching the basics of each position instead of the standard running and passing drills, which he says gives the kids a good foundation for their athletic futures

"We want to teach these kids the pro position they're interested in, teach them the fundamentals of the game including the details of that position. I think that's critical in a kid's growth so they can learn the play the position with the finest detail so they can be a good player at that position," said Jones.

The camp is free and continues Saturday. It's for kids 7 to 15-years-old. You can register at 7:30 a.m. at the Ed Defore Sports Complex next to Westside High School.