Report: 18 former NBA players arrested and charged federally for defrauding league’s health and welfare plan

According to a report, more than a dozen former NBA players have been arrested and charged federally for “defrauding the NBA’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan” out of roughly $4 million.

It sounds like false claims were the basis for the scandal.

“According to the indictment, the ex-players engaged in a widespread scheme to defraud the plan by submitting false and fraudulent claims to get reimbursed for medical and dental expenses that were never actually incurred,” Associated Press News reported.

 

“The 18 players were among 19 individuals charged in the indictment. It said that the scheme was carried out from at least 2017 to 2020, when the plan received false claims totaling about $3.9 million. Of that, the defendants received about $2.5 million in fraudulent proceeds.”

Very little is known about the matter at this point, but more details will surely emerge in the near future. It’s shocking to see so many familiar names mixed up in the incident.

Two of the most notable former players being charged are Darius Miles and Glen Davis.

Miles had a solid NBA career in which he averaged 10.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He played for four different teams.

Davis, meanwhile, was a fan favorite during his time in the league. He averaged 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest during his playing days. He played for three different teams.