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- Mar 19, 2019
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The United States Department of Justice has charged 10 former NFL players with defrauding a health care program for retired players.
Former Washington and Denver running back Clinton Portis is among those who have been charged. He is joined by Carlos Rogers, Robert McCune, John Eubanks, Tamarick Vanover, Ceandris Brown, James Butler, Frederick Bennett, Correll Buckhalter and Etric Pruitt.
Former NFL wideouts Joe Horn and Reche Caldwell are also expected to be charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
The charges were filed in the Eastern District of Kentucky this week allege that the retired players submitted fradulent claims for medical equipment costing between $40,000-50,000 to the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan. They would fabricate prescriptions and invoices to support while recruiting others to make false claims in exchange for payments of up to $10,000.
“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,” assistant attorney general Brian Benczkowski said, via the Washington Post. “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.”
According to the indictment, the claims filed between June 2017 and December 2018 totaled $3.9 million and the health care plan paid out more than $3.4 million.