Former NFL Players Plead Guilty in Health Care Fraud
The three former players admitted to participating in a scheme to defraud the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan, a health care benefit program for retired NFL players which was established in 2006.
Landwebs
Three former National Football League (NFL) players have pleaded guilty for their roles in a nationwide scheme to defraud a health care benefit program for retired NFL players, the Department of Justice announced. A total of 15 defendants have pleaded guilty in connection to the scheme. The former players include: Clinton Portis, Tamarick Vanover, and Robert McCune. Portis and Vanover pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and agreed to pay full restitution to the Plan. Each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. McCune pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of aggravated identify theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. All 12 of the other defendants charged have plead guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
The former players admitted to participating in a scheme to defraud the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan. The plan, developed in the NFL’s 2006 collecting bargaining agreement, provided for tax-free reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical care expenses that weren’t covered by insurance, and that were incurred by former players, their spouses and their dependents, up to a maximum of $350,000 per player.
