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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: The NBA emblem is displayed as folks go by the NBA Retailer in New York Metropolis, U.S., October 7, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Eighteen former Nationwide Basketball Affiliation gamers had been charged on Thursday with defrauding the league’s well being and welfare profit plan out of $3.9 million by looking for reimbursement for medical and dental work that was by no means carried out.
Based on an indictment filed with the U.S. District Court docket in Manhattan, gamers obtained $2.5 million in fraudulent proceeds, with 10 paying the alleged ringleader, Terrence Williams, a minimum of $230,000 in kickbacks.
Prosecutors stated Williams provided false invoices in alternate for the kickbacks and helped receive bogus “letters of medical necessity” for 3 gamers.
“The defendants’ playbook concerned fraud and deception,” U.S. Legal professional in Manhattan Audrey Strauss stated at a press convention.
Among the many defendants are Tony Allen, a six-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Group, and Glen Davis, each of whom gained a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008.
Different defendants embody Sebastian Telfair, a former Brooklyn highschool basketball star, and Milt Palacio, now an assistant coach for the Portland Path Blazers.
Williams performed for the New Jersey Nets and three different groups from 2009 to 2013.
Attorneys for the defendants couldn’t instantly be recognized.
The Path Blazers stated Palacio, who was added to the crew’s teaching employees in early August, was placed on administrative depart pending additional discover.
“The federal investigation is unbiased of the Path Blazers group and we may have no additional remark pending the result of the authorized course of,” the crew stated in an announcement.
In an announcement, the NBA stated it should cooperate with prosecutors, calling the accusations “significantly disheartening” given the significance of its profit plans to assist gamers’ well being, together with after they retire.
The alleged scheme concerned two dental workplaces and a chiropractic workplace within the Los Angeles space, and a wellness workplace in Washington state.
Prosecutors stated some invoices confirmed Allen, Davis and the defendant Tony Wroten receiving crowns on the identical six enamel on the identical day, and Davis receiving crowns on eight enamel in Beverly Hills when he was really in Nevada.
The defendants had been charged with conspiracy to commit well being care and wire fraud.
Williams was additionally charged with identification theft for posing as a plan supervisor questioning a reimbursement to “frighten” Chris Douglas-Roberts, a defendant who had not paid a kickback, into re-engaging with him.
Different defendants embody Alan Anderson, Shannon Brown, Will Bynum, Melvin Ely, Jamario Moon, Darius Miles, Ruben Patterson, Eddie Robinson, Greg Smith, C.J. Watson and Antoine Wright. Allen’s spouse Desiree can also be a defendant.
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