ALBANY — Antonio Brown has repeatedly said that he owns the Albany Empire — indeed, he said it (“I’m the owner, 100 percent owner”) even before he recently doubled his initial 47.5 percent stake in the arena league football team to become the 95 percent owner.
But in recent days, Brown’s representatives have come forward to insist that, at least technically speaking, he doesn’t actually own any percentage of the team.
According to documents provided to the Times Union by Brown’s camp, the team is owned by Antonio El-Allah Express Trust Enterprise, and Brown has no personal ownership or control over the team.
But there are more layers to this particular onion: Antonio El-Allah Express Trust Enterprise is the domestic arm of another entity, Antonio El-Allah Express Trust (without the “Enterprise”). Empire team president Alberony Denis and a lawyer named Marlon Oliveira said in a phone call Monday night that a foreign citizen named Antonio El-Allah is the trustee.
Denis and Oliveira both emailed copies of a letter sent on behalf of Antonio El-Allah Express Trust. The letter, however, raises more questions that it answers. The letter was addressed to this reporter as well as former Empire co-owner Mike Kwarta, who sold his 47.5 percent stake to Brown for $1 on April 19.
“I Brown, Antonio Tavaris a foreign national but not a citizen of the United States at birth, am writing to you regarding recent reports that have been circulating in the media regarding my supposed ownership of the Albany Empire team,” the letter begins. “I want to make it very clear that I am not the owner of this team, and any claims to the contrary are completely false.”
Antonio Brown’s full name is indeed Antonio Tavaris Brown. But according to Pro Football Reference and other sources, he was born in Miami to “Touchdown” Eddie Brown and Adrienne…
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