FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

July 21, 2026 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Zemp Behenna filed multiple fraud charges against former NBA and OSU basketball star Desmond Mason. The charges are a result of an investigation by the Oklahoma City Police Department’s Financial Crime Unit.

Mason, 48, is accused of being paid for art pieces that were never received by the victims. According to detectives, he was in contact with four separate victims, one in Tulsa County and three in Oklahoma County, between March 2025 and April 2026. During that communication, Mason repeatedly promised delivery of art that was never fulfilled or never received. Each victim paid varying prices for each piece above the $1,000 felony threshold.

Communication with each victim abruptly stopped and each has tried numerous times to contact Mason with no success. Oklahoma City police referred the three Oklahoma County cases to the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office and charges were filed today. Mason faces three counts of Obtaining by False Pretense and one count of Pattern of Criminal Offenses.

Criminal charges are based on probable cause to believe a person has committed a crime. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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