Eighteen former NBA players, including 2008 champion Tony Allen, were indicted on Thursday for defrauding the American Professional Basketball League's health insurance system for millions of dollars, federal prosecutors said. of Manhattan.
According to the indictment, which was made public, the system, in place from 2017 to 2020, consisted of making false statements to the NBA-specific insurance plan to receive reimbursements for care that they did not. were not entitled.
The players are accused of submitting claims for reimbursements for bogus medical and dental treatment, totaling $ 3.9 million, and collecting around $ 2.5 million in fraudulent payments. The FBI participated in the investigation. Federal prosecutors accuse Terrence Williams, who played for the New Jersey Nets (now the Brooklyn Nets) and the Houston Rockets, of orchestrating the fraud and receiving $ 230,000 in bribes from others former players involved. "It was the linchpin of the system," prosecutor Audrey Strauss told reporters.
The vast majority of those charged are former secondary players, but among them are Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Tony Allen, one of the best defensemen in the NBA at the time, both champions in 2008 with the Boston Celtics and finalists in 2010. According to prosecutors' statement, Allen could not be arrested and was on the run Thursday, as were three other former players, but his wife was arrested and charged.
Fifteen people arrested on American soil
Among 19 indicted in total, 15 were arrested on American soil Thursday and were due to be brought to justice in different states.
Shannon Brown, a former Los Angeles Lakers full-back, and Sebastian Telfair, who had played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, are also on the list.
According to the indictment, the fraud was sometimes obvious, since some of the former players were not in the city where they were supposed to have received the treatment on the date mentioned, or that requests for reimbursements had been made. for identical care on several teeth, sometimes twelve on the same day.
The players have all been charged with conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and electronic fraud, an offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Williams was also charged with aggravated identity theft.