The retired 50-0 champion who built a brand on being boxing’s ultimate businessman is now facing theft and fraud charges in Las Vegas tied to an unpaid luxury watch.
Floyd Mayweather, the undefeated former five-division world champion who spent his career calling himself the smartest businessman in the sport, is facing two felony charges in Las Vegas after allegedly buying a $200,000 watch with a check that bounced.
According to Nevada court records first reported by ESPN, Mayweather has been charged with theft of property valued at $100,000 or greater, and with passing a check with intent to defraud valued at $1,200 or greater. Both counts are felonies under Nevada law.
The case stems from an Audemars Piguet watch that records show was purchased on December 25, 2024, from Gold and Beyond, a high-end resale boutique in Las Vegas. Six days later, on December 31, 2024, prosecutors say Mayweather wrote a $200,000 check from a Wells Fargo account that did not hold enough money to cover it. The complaint alleges he wrote the check while he “had insufficient money, property, or credit” in the account to pay it in full, and that he did so while knowing the check would not be honored when presented.
A Year of Waiting, Then a Complaint
The jeweler did not move quickly to the courts. Marc Cook, an attorney with Cook & Kelesis, which represents Gold and Beyond, told ESPN that his client filed a complaint with the Clark County District Attorney’s office in February 2026, more than a year after the sale. Cook said his client had wanted to settle the matter privately and gave Mayweather repeated chances to pay before going to authorities.
“My guy trusted Mayweather,” Cook said, explaining that the store kept hoping to be paid before it eventually felt ignored.
Clark County prosecutors filed the initial criminal complaint on April 27. A court order followed three days later directing Mayweather to appear before a judge. He did not show up in person for the Monday hearing tied to that order and was instead represented by his attorney.
What He Faces
The penalties are significant if it gets that far. Under Nevada law, the fraud charge carries one to four years in prison, a fine of up to $5,000, and restitution. The felony theft charge is far heavier, with a possible sentence of one to 20 years behind bars and fines reaching $15,000.
One Piece of a Bigger Financial Picture
The watch case lands in the middle of a long run of money problems for a fighter who once flaunted stacks of cash as a personal brand. Plaintiffs in civil cases across at least four states claim Mayweather owes them money. The Internal Revenue Service has a tax lien of more than $7.2 million against him for unpaid taxes in 2018 and 2023, and a Las Vegas-area gated community has filed a separate lien of more than $22,500.
Mayweather has been busy on the other side of the docket as well. Earlier this year he sued Showtime for $340 million and went after former business associates for $175 million, alleging fraud and breach of fiduciary duty in both cases.
Still Headed to Greece
None of it appears to be slowing down his next payday. Mayweather is scheduled to face kickboxer Mike Zambidis in an exhibition on June 27 in Athens, Greece. A source close to the fighter told ESPN that he still has his passport and plans to travel later this week. The source said there had been a threat of the passport being pulled at one point because of the IRS lien, but that Mayweather’s tax attorneys have been working with the agency and he is expected to make the trip and return.
Neither Mayweather’s attorney nor the Clark County District Attorney’s office had commented publicly when the story broke.
These are allegations contained in a criminal complaint. Mayweather has not been convicted of anything and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case is ongoing.
