FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A 52-year-old woman, with the help of a former Merrill Lynch financial advisor, is accused of stealing millions from former Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl safety Reshad Jones over a two-year period, according to an arrest report obtained by Local 10 News on Thursday.
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Fort Lauderdale police say Isaiah Williams, who served as Jones’ financial advisor between January 2022 and March 2024, allegedly abused his access to the athlete’s personal bank account, stealing approximately $1.58 million in 133 wire transfers to pay off two of his American Express credit cards.
Court records show Williams used Jones’ money to fund a lavish lifestyle, including first-class airline tickets, hotel stays with multiple women, nightclub tabs, strip clubs, car rentals, designer clothes, jewelry, legal fees and even child support.
Police also said Williams went on duty-free shopping sprees in Mexico.
But the crimes didn’t stop there, authorities said.
Detectives said another $1.03 million was laundered from Jones’ account with help from Octavia Monique Graham, of Dallas, Georgia — whom Jones, 37, of Plantation, told investigators he had never met.
Between October 2019 and September 2021, 16 handwritten checks totaling about $435,000 were pulled from Graham’s account and deposited into Williams’ Chase bank account, according to the report.
Additionally, authorities said 88 Zelle transfers totaling about $184,000 were also made from Graham’s Bank of America account to Williams.
In total, Jones’ losses added up to approximately $2.58 million, police said. The former Dolphins safety told detectives that he is pressing charges.
Jail records show Graham, after surrendering herself on Monday, is facing two counts of money laundering and one count of first-degree grand theft.
Graham appeared in a Broward courtroom Friday, where a judge set her set her bond at $75,000. She was also ordered not to contact Jones and Williams. She remains at the Paul Rein Detention Facility.
Graham is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. on July 7.
Williams had not yet been arrested for the alleged crimes, according to court documents.
In addition to the criminal investigation, records from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority show that Williams was recently barred from the securities industry following allegations of serious misconduct.
According to his BrokerCheck report, Williams resigned from Merrill Lynch in December 2024 amid allegations of “misappropriation, unsuitable asset allocation, misrepresentations and an improper outside business activity.”
That report also stated an investor filed a complaint against him in the same month, echoing those same accusations.
In response to the case, Jones’ attorneys Chase Carlson, of Carlson Law, and Jeff Sonn, of Sonn Law Group, released this statement to Local 10 News on Friday:
A spokesperson from Bank of America, who confirmed that Williams no longer works for Merrill Lynch, also released a statement to Local 10 News, which you can read here:
“Whenever we learn of potential wrongdoing, we promptly investigate, fully cooperate with regulators and law enforcement, and work with the client to compensate them for any harm caused by an employee. Putting clients first and protecting client assets have been guiding principles of Merrill since our founding more than 100 years ago.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the suspect’s age.
