A man from Roanoke, Virginia, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of failing to register as a convicted sex offender and making false statements. Janike Dunbar Holt, also known by several aliases including “Nike” and “Janike Tagovailoa,” admitted guilt on one count under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and another for providing false information to law enforcement.
Court documents reveal that Holt was previously convicted in August 2018 for taking indecent liberties with a child in North Carolina. He was released from custody in October 2018 but failed to update his address as required by law after June 2022.
In March 2022, Holt began dating a woman referred to as Individual 1, who had a minor child. Although not the father, Holt misled others into believing he was and solicited money from various women under false pretenses related to the child.
By October 2022, Holt started dating another woman, Individual 2, deceiving her into giving him $65 for supposed expenses related to a child he claimed was his. He also gained access to her bank accounts and took $5,000 without permission. The funds were later recovered by Individual 2.
Throughout 2022, Holt continued similar deceptive activities with other individuals identified as Individuals 3 and 5. He stole checks from Individual 3 while living with her and attempted to cash them through others. One check falsely indicated it was a “Lawsuit Refund” for $225,000 but remained uncashed.
In February 2023, Holt moved from North Carolina to Virginia without registering as a sex offender there. While living in Roanoke with his brother initially and then with Individual 6 until March of that year, he perpetuated further deceptions involving Major League Baseball affiliations using burner phones.
Holt’s fraudulent claims led Individuals involved with him—his brother included—to make financial decisions based on non-existent baseball career opportunities he fabricated.
Holt was arrested on March 14, 2023. During an interview following his arrest by a deputy marshal on an outstanding warrant from North Carolina, he made several false statements regarding his residence status and travel habits between states.
The United States Marshals Service is conducting the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is handling the prosecution.
