Tag: Clinton Portis

WATCH: Ten former NFL players facing charges of healthcare fraud

Retired NFL running back Clinton Portis is among 10 former pro players charged with health care fraud by the United States Department of Justice.

Retired NFL running back Clinton Portis is among 10 former pro players charged with health care fraud by the United States Department of Justice.

The charges filed this week alleging that the group of NFL retirees fabricated documents like prescription orders and invoices from medical equipment companies to defraud the NFL’s health care program for retired players.

The Washington Post reports that the group submitted $3.9 million worth of fraudulent claims and that the NFL program paid out more than $3.4 million for those claims between June 2017 and December 2018.

Charges have been filed against Portis, Carlos Rogers, Robert McCune, John Eubanks, Tamarick Vanover, Ceandris Brown, James Butler, Frederick Bennett, Correll Buckhalter, and Etric Pruitt.

Former wide receivers Joe Horn and Reche Caldwell are expected to be charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

Joe Horn among 10 ex-players charged with defrauding NFL health care plan

Former New Orleans Saints WR Joe Horn was charged with Pro Bowl RB Clinton Portis and several peers by the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Joe Horn found himself in hot water on Thursday, when the U.S. Department of Justice charged a group of 10 retired NFL players with defrauding a league health care plan. Unlike the other former players in this group, Horn is being charged with a bill of information after agreeing to cooperate with government authorities. Other names on the list include former Pro Bowl running back Clinton Portis and his Washington Redskins teammates Carlos Rogers, Robert McCune and John Eubanks. A handful of other ex-NFL players round out the group.

According to the charges detailed in the DOJ report, retired NFL players including Horn submitted fraudulent claims totaling $3.9 million, with the league reimbursing $3.4 million of them between June 2018 and December 2018. Claims were made for expensive medical equipment in the range of $40,000 to $50,000 such as cryotherapy saunas, hyperbaric chambers, and electromagnetic therapy devices, but that equipment was never purchased.

Horn is charged along with the other defendants on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, but nine individual counts of wire fraud and nine different counts of health care fraud are also on the table. Penalties for these counts are as steep as 20 years in prison and up to $250,000.

It’s a developing story, and one worth watching as prosecutors proceed forwards. Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski held a press conference to announce the charges, saying, “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. 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.”

This is certainly a disappointing turn for Horn, who played 103 of his 165 career NFL games with the Saints. He was one of the team’s most prominent players in the early 2000’s, though he lasted only 10 games once Saints coach Sean Payton was hired in 2006.

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2 former Texans indicted on charges of defrauding NFL’s health-care plan

Two former Houston Texans were indicted on charges by a federal grand jury in a scheme to defraud the NFL’s health-care plan.

Two former Houston Texans players have been indicted on charges of defrauding the NFL’s health-care plan.

According to USA TODAY’s Kevin Johnson, former Texans safety C.C. Brown and defensive back Fred Bennett were among 10 former NFL  players a federal grand jury charged with defrauding the NFL’s Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan — the retiree health care benefits plan. The other eight players include Clinton Portis, John Eubanks, Tamarick Vanover, Robert McCune, James Butler, Correll Buckhalter, Etric Pruitt, and Carlos Rogers.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it will seek charges against former NFL receivers Reche Caldwell and Joe Horn. However, it appears that Horn is cooperating with the feds.

According to the indictments, nearly $4.0 million in false or fradulent claims were submitted to the plan, and nearly $3.5 million was paid out from June to December of 2018.

“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 in a press conference via Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar. “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.”

All 10 defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud based on the accusations that they faxed reimbursement forms for such things ranging from muscle timulator pule massagers to CryoSauna tanks. In addition, there are nine separate counts of wire fraud and nine different counts of health care fraud.

Counts 1-10 can be penalized by imprisonment for not more than 20 years, a fire of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, and also supervised release for not more than three years.

Counts 11-19 can be penalized by imprisonment for not more than 10 years, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, and supervised release for not more than three years.

Allegedly the players fabricated letters from health care providers regarding the use of the medical equipment, concocted fake prescriptions that were allegedly signed by health-care provides, and even created fake invoices for medical equipment as a proof of purchase.

According to the release via CNN, McCune and Buckhalter even called the health benefits phone line impersonating other former players to check the status of the claims.

More indictments could be on the way as several of the players named allegedly reached out to other ex-players to be a part of the scheme with kickbacks up to $10,000.

A money judgement has been weighed against Brown, Bennett, and the other defendants. That means if the equipment in question can’t be located, is in possession of a third party, or has diminished in value, “the Unites States of America shall be entitled to forfeiture of substitute property.”

Ten former NFL players facing charges of healthcare fraud

Ten former NFL players – including two-time Pro Bowler Clinton Portis – have been charged with health care fraud by the United States Department of Justice.

Ten former NFL players – including two-time Pro Bowler Clinton Portis – have been charged with health care fraud by the United States Department of Justice.

Clinton Portis, Carlos Rogers among 10 accused of defrauding NFL health care program

The former Washington Redskins are among 10 former NFL players accused in a scheme to defraud the NFL health care program for personal gain.

Former Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis is one of 10 former NFL players who face charges for allegedly defrauding the league’s health program and using it for personal gains, USA TODAY reports.

An indictment released Thursday says the former players are accused of filing more than $3.9 million in fraudulent claims, of which more than $3.4 million were paid from June 2017 to December 2018.

In addition to Portis, three other former Redskins are implicated in the scheme: Carlos Rogers, Robert McCune and John Eubanks.

A statement from Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski explains how the con allegedly worked.

“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. “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.”

When asked to comment on the situation, Portis told ESPN’s John Keim, “I don’t have any comment on that,” but his lawyer expressed that the former running back had no knowledge that he was involved in this scheme.

According to the indictment, some of the players involved would recruit other former players to join the scheme. It was often carried out by fabricating letters from health-care providers about the use of medical equipment and fabricated prescriptions that created fake invoices from companies in an effort to prove that the equipment was purchased.

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Eight former players indicted on charges of defrauding NFL’s health-care plan

Clinton Portis is one of eight former NFL players who have been indicted on charges that they defrauded the NFL’s health-care plan.

On Thursday morning, the Department of Justice indicted eight former NFL players — Clinton Portis, John Eubanks, Tamarick Vanover, Robert McCune, Ceandris Brown, James Butler, Fred Bennett, and Etric Pruitt on charges that they defrauded the league’s Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan. The DOJ also announced that it will seek charges against former players Joe Horn and Reche Caldwell. Horn is being charged through a bill of information, because he is co-operating with the government in the case.

According to the indictments, over $3.9 million in false or fraudulent claims were submitted to the Plan, and over $3.4 million was paid out from June, 2018 to December, 2018.

“Ten former NFL players allegedly committed a brazen, multi-million-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 in a press conference. “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.”

The eight defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud based on the accusations that they sent reimbursement forms via facsimile for such things as hyperbaric chambers, electro-magnetic therapy mobile devices, muscle stimulator pule massagers, and CryoSauna tanks (in which a patient is subjected to extreme cold temperatures to reduce muscoloskeletal pain and inflammation). There are also nine separate counts of wire fraud, and nine different counts of health care fraud. Counts 1-10 can be penalized by imprisonment for not more than 20 years, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, and supervised release for not more than three years. Counts 11-19 can be penalized by imprisonment for not more than 10 years, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, and supervised release for not more than three years.

The players allegedly fabricated letters from health care providers regarding the use of the medical equipment, made up fake prescriptions that were purported to be signed by health-care providers, and created false invoices for medical equipment to prove purchase.

According to the indictment, the defendants “aided and abetted by each other and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury, did knowingly and willfully execute a scheme and artifice to defraud a health care benefit program by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.”

Several of the players named allegedly reached out to other former players to engage in in the scheme in return for kickbacks up to $10,000, which means that more indictments may be coming.

 

A money judgment has been weighed against the eight defendants in which it is stated that if the equipment in question cannot be located, has been transferred to a third party, or has diminished in value, “the Unites States of America shall be entitled to forfeiture of substitute property.”