Eighteen former NBA players have been charged with defrauding the NBA’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan out of approximately $4 million, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
We found out from a press conference that the alleged ringleader is Terrence Williams, who was drafted by the then-New Jersey Nets in 2009 and also played for the Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings and Boston Celtics. He was the one that created a way to defraud a supplemental health plan for active and retired players by submitting false claims “for reimbursement of expenses for medical and dental services that were not actually rendered.”
The players then allegedly submitted false or fraudulent claims totaling nearly $4 million, from which the ex-players took in about $2.5 million. They also allegedly sent kickbacks totally $230,000 to Williams.
The records submitted by the ex-players “described medical and dental services that were not in fact provided,” the indictment said.
Glen “Big Baby” Davis was among those charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. The former Boston Celtics player Wroten and Allen all claimed to have had crowns on the same six teeth on the same day and at the exact same location.
The other former players indicted are Alan Anderson, Tony Allen, Desiree Allen, Shannon Brown, Will Bynum, Christopher Douglas-Roberts, Melvin Ely, Milton Palacio, Ruben Patterson, Eddie Robinson, Greg Smith, Charles Watson, Antoine Wright, Sebastian Telfair, Darius Miles and Tony Wroten.
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Allen was a six-time All-Defensive team selection and a member of the 2008 champion Boston Celtics. His wife was also indicted.
