HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A Hillsborough magistrate is giving Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver until next Wednesday to hand over his 350 Mercedes SUV as partial payment for overdue child support. If he doesn’t make the deadline, Tarver will face jail time.
The five-time boxing champion, who now lives in Land O’ Lakes, has been running behind in his child support since 2008. He now owes about $779,000 after the most recent court order.
Tarver’s mother Gwen Tarver contacted 8 On Your Side to complain that the 2010 Mercedes was her son’s gift to her years ago. She said she can’t understand why the court is making him give it to his ex-girlfriend, Toni Rolle, to make good on support for their 14-year-old daughter. “He bought it as a gift,” Gwen Tarver said. “The truck was supposed to go in my name after it was paid for.”
She insists she was using the car until last year when her son said he needed it because his Range Rover was having mechanical issues. Shortly after that the court seized the Range Rover as part of Antonio Tarver’s child support debt. Now he’s about to lose the Mercedes, which his mother doesn’t like one bit because that will leave her without any means of transportation.
“I am disabled. I get Social Security disability so is that a hardship for me? You better believe it is,” Gwen Tarver said. She’s hurt that her son didn’t make a point of that when he appeared in court last week claiming he was broke.
Tarver was also ordered to turn over his championship boxing belts and the Olympic Bronze medal he won during the 1996 Atlanta Games. That might also be problematic for “Magic Man” because Gwen Tarver claims most of that memorabilia is in her possession. She said she has no intention of giving it up.
Tarver did not mention at last week’s hearing that he had just returned from Beverly Hills where his Instagram feed shows he stayed at the swanky Sofitel hotel. He was in Los Angeles for a Spike TV photo shoot.
“Magic Man” works as a boxing analyst for the network and makes $6,000 per fight. He insists his next appearance isn’t until April and has no means of supporting himself or anyone else until then.
Despite her hard feelings about losing the Mercedes in her son’s ongoing child support court battle, Gwen Tarver stands in her son’s corner when it comes to his parenting. “I guarantee you that man has been an awesome father to that little girl,” she said.
Article courtesy of WFLA