Shilo Sanders’ $11 Million Debt & Bankruptcy Case Hangs In Balance With Federal Judge
Source: Dustin Bradford / Getty
As the quarterback of the Colorado Buffaloes, Shedeur Sanders gets the majority of the attention of all Deion Sanders’ children, but now his brother is in the spotlight.
Shilo Sanders, the Buffs’ safety, filed for bankruptcy in October 2023 and has been involved in legal proceedings.
He reported having $11 million in debt, which all stems from John Darjean, a security guard at his Dallas-area high school. Darjean says that Shilo assaulted him when he tried to confiscate the then-15-year-old’s cell phone. Allegedly, Shilo hit Darjean so hard it left him with permanent injuries, including “neurological injuries and damage to his cervical spine.”
Darjean went on to win a $12 million judgment, and in an effort to discharge his debt, Shilo filed for bankruptcy. Then, Sanders failed to show up for trial in 2022.
According to USA Today, Shilo is trying to dismiss more than $11 million in debt. However, Judgechael Romero said if he denies the request, the case could still go to trial to figure out what Shilo’s mental state was during the alleged assault.
However, that filing may not be accepted if the debt stems from “willful and malicious injury by the debtor,” which would question his thinking during the incident.
“If I deny the motion for summary judgment and we have a trial, don’t you agree it’s only on the mental state that existed at the time?” Romero asked Sanders’ attorney, Victor Vidal. “Is that the only issue I would have before me? I’m not going to try the whole bloomin’ thing again.”
Vidal agreed, saying, “What was going through this 15-year-old’s mind at the time is what I think this case is about.”
Since the $12 million judgment, Shilo has turned over about $210,000 to the bankruptcy estate. He was also required to hand over his tax returns, bank statements, and copies of NIL deals to the courts to uncover his true financial state.
“We’re trying to find out who is paying who for the NIL endorsements, where is the money coming from to buy the house and the cars and the jewelry … and whatever else we find,” said Jeff Carruth, one of Darjean’s attorneys.
On the field, Sanders is playing his last season of college football, and the Buffs have a comfortable 6-2 record.
