2 Admit Defrauding Lakers Owner Buss

Two men who obtained a stolen $161,171 tax refund check intended for Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss and then tried to cash it pleaded guilty to fraud charges in federal court Wednesday.

Dwayne Kellum, 38, and Kenneth Reeves, 42, both of Long Beach, admitted taking part in a scheme to cash the check by opening an account in the name of “Jerry Buss Jr.” at Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.

The California state refund check had been stolen from the mail, apparently by someone else, said Assistant U.S. Atty. Gregory Weingart.

Kellum was convicted in a separate case last month of cashing $141,000 worth of stolen checks. They included $36,000 in checks belonging to a trust set up by actor Fred MacMurray and his wife, actress June Haver.

U.S. District Judge Christina A. Snyder set sentencing in both cases for June 24.