Getty Image composite
Clinton Portis, along with nine other former NFL players, have been indicted on charges of defrauding and stealing money from the NFL’s health care program.
The United States Department of Justice also levied charges against former NFL players Correll Buckhalter, Carlos Rogers, Robert McCune, John Eubanks, Tamarick Vanover, Ceandris Brown, James Butler, Fredrick Bennett and Etric Pruitt.
Joe Horn and Reche Caldwell are expected to be charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud at a later date.
The charges, filed in the Eastern District of Kentucky, claim that the players concocted their scam in 2017, submitting fradulent claims for medical equipment, prescriptions, and medical bills.
According to the Washington Post…
The players allegedly submitted false claims to the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan for reimbursement for medical equipment — such as hyperbaric chambers, cryotherapy machines and ultrasound machines — costing between $40,000 and $50,000. The players charged recruited others into their scheme by offering to submit false claims in exchange for “kickbacks” and bribes that ranged up $10,000, according to the indictments. The players fabricated documents, including invoices and prescriptions, to execute the plan, according to the indictments.
“The expensive medical equipment described in the Reimbursement Request Forms that the Defendants submitted or caused to be submitted to the Plan were never purchased or received from the Participant, and the invoices from medical equipment companies, letters from health care providers, and prescriptions from health care providers accompanying the Reimbursement Request Forms were all fabricated,” the indictment reads.
“Ten former NFL players allegedly committed a brazen, multimillion dollar fraud on a health care plan meant to help their former teammates and other retired players pay legitimate, out-of-pocket medical expenses,” said assistant attorney general Brian Benczkowski. “Today’s indictments underscore that whoever you are, if you loot health care programs to line your own pockets, you will be held accountable by the Department of Justice.”
[protected-iframe id=”ad3aca4fe3b563ae50f42d6f11844f28-97886205-92827192″ info=”https://share.tmz.com/videos/121219-department-of-justice-nfl-4693798-0-ufxtos0j/” width=”640″ height=”386″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen=””]
According to the indictment, the health care plan paid out more than $3.4 million on false claims totaling $3.9 million.
Four of the men charged have already been arrested, while six others have agreed to voluntarily turn themselves in to the Department of Justice.
If convicted, the former NFL players involved will face up to 20 years in prison and fines that could exceed $250,000, reports TMZ.
Sounds like Portis needs to break out one of his legendary disguises again.