Eighteen former NBA players were arrested and charged in an alleged healthcare fraud scheme that defrauded the league’s health and benefits plan out of $4m.
A grand jury indictment unsealed in the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York alleges that Terrence Williams “orchestrated” a plan to file false claims to the league’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan, then allegedly offered to provide fraudulent invoices from former players in exchange for payments to him.
Among the 19 total people charged are Glen “Big Baby” Davis, a former member of the 2008 championship Boston Celtics, as well as former fellow Celtics champion and six-time NBA All-Defensive Team member Tony Allen. His wife Desiree is also charged.
Other men included in the indictment are Alan Anderson, Shannon Brown, William Bynum, Christopher Douglas-Roberts, Melvin Ely, Jamario Moon, Darius Miles, Milton Palacio, Ruben Patterson, Eddie Robinson, Gregory Smith, Sebastian Telfair, Charles Watson Jr., Antoine Wright, and Anthony Wroten.
FBI agents have arrested 16 defendants.
The benefits plan reimburses medical payments for current and former players. Charges include conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, spanning an alleged scheme that ran from 2017 through 2020.
US Attorney Audrey Strauss described Mr Williams as “the scheme’s lynchpin” during a press conference on 7 October. He “provided other players with false invoices for medical and dental procedures they never received,” she said.
Terrence Williams, pictured in 2013, is alleged to have ‘orchestrated’ a fraud scheme involving a group of former NBA players, according to federal prosecutors.
(Getty Images)
Among the false claims, according to prosecutors: Mr Allen, Mr Davis and Mr Wroten all claimed to receive root canals on the same day.
The plan ultimately paid out $2.5m to defendants, according to prosecutors. Mr Williams also received $230,000 in kickbacks, Ms Strauss said. He was also charged with aggravated identity theft.
“The defendants’ playbook involved fraud and deception,” Ms Strauss said. “They will have to answer for their fragrant violations of law.”
The Independent has requested comment from the league and the NBA Players Association.
