Former Penn State RB Ki-Jana Carter Sued over Failed $2.4M COVID-19 Mask Deal

Former NFL running back Ki-Jana Carter is the subject of a lawsuit filed by Penn State Health, alleging a company owned and run by the one-time Nittany Lions star failed to fulfill the terms of a $2.4 million deal to supply surgical masks. 

According to Penn Live's Matt Miller, Carter reached out to Penn State Health on behalf of ByoGlobe LLC to line up the sale of 300,000 masks in late March amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Penn State Health alleges in the suit it didn't receive a single mask and that it's unsure what happened to the $2.4 million it spent since ByoGlobe didn't hold the payment in escrow.

Penn State Health said it reached out to Carter in mid-April when the masks didn't arrive and received a response that a shipment was "en route." Carter allegedly followed up to say the delay was due in part to a change in ByoGlobe's suppliers.

Miller provided more on Penn State Health's allegations:

"Penn State Health claims Carter and ByoGlobe never actually had the connections or expertise to make good on the mask deal. It says it demanded a refund of the full amount of the contract in May.

"Since there was no escrow or performance bond that money has come back in dribs and drabs, with the $935,000 still to be repaid, Penn State Health contends. No further refunds have been made since July, it says."

Especially in the early stages when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, some medical facilities experienced a shortage of necessary personal protective equipment such as surgical masks.

Penn State Health explained in November how it dealt with the problem. Part of the solution included the creation of an email inbox "asking people to send any leads they might have for securing more items like masks and gowns." It's unclear if that's how Carter came into contact with the organization.

Miller noted Carter's connection to Penn State made his offer stand out a bit.

The 47-year-old spent three seasons with the Nittany Lions, running for 2,829 yards and 34 touchdowns. He finished runner-up to Colorado's Rashaan Salaam in the 1994 Heisman Trophy voting. Penn State was a perfect 12-0 that year but wound up second behind 13-0 Nebraska in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.