October 07, (THEWILL) – A federal indictment released on Thursday has charged eighteen former NBA players, including defensive standout Tony Allen, with stealing $2.5 million in false medical and dental claims.
Prosecutors allege the players got $2.5 million in payments from the league’s Health and Welfare Benefits Plan in exchange for submitting $4 million in phoney claims for chiropractic and dental services that were never performed from 2017 to 2020.
Allen, a six-time all-defensive team member and member of the 2008 champion Celtics; his wife, Desiree; another former Celtic player, Glen Davis; Shannon Brown, a two-time champion with the Lakers; Melvin Ely, who won a title with the Spurs in 2007; Sebastian Telfair, one of the most celebrated high school players in history; and 14 other former players have been charged.
Former Net man Terrence Williams, the number 11 overall pick in the 2009 draught, was the alleged ringleader of the plot, according to prosecutors, who persuaded other former NBA players to join by sending them phoney invoices for procedures to submit for reimbursement. The players would then pay the 34-year-old Williams a “kick-back” from the money they got for the bogus medical claim.
According to the authorities, Williams earned $230,000 in kickbacks.
Darius Miles, the number three pick in the 2000 draught, is among the former players indicted in the federal indictment, as are Milt Palacio, Will Bynum, Eddie Robinson, Ruben Patterson, Antoine Wright, Jamario Moon, Christopher Douglas-Roberts, Anthony Wroten, and Gregory Smith.
A statement would be released later Thursday, according to a league spokesman, and the NBA would make no further comment.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
