Ex-NFL players plead guilty to health care fraud scheme

WASHINGTON — Former NFL players Clinton Portis, Tamarick Vanover and Robert McCune pleaded blameworthy for their roles successful a nationwide wellness attraction fraud strategy and could look years successful prison, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.

Portis, Vanover and McCune admitted to defrauding an NFL programme acceptable up to reimburse aesculapian expenses not covered by security for retired players and their families, the Justice Department said.

McCune could beryllium facing beingness successful situation aft pleading blameworthy to conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud and wellness attraction fraud, 13 counts of wellness attraction fraud, 11 counts of ligament fraud and 3 counts of aggravated individuality theft. He is scheduled to beryllium sentenced Nov. 19.

The DOJ said McCune orchestrated the strategy that resulted successful astir $2.9 cardinal worthy of mendacious and fraudulent claims being filed and $2.5 cardinal paid retired betwixt June 2017 and April 2018.

Portis and Vanover each pleaded blameworthy to conspiracy to perpetrate wellness attraction fraud and could look up to 10 years successful prison. According to tribunal documents, Portis was liable for conscionable nether $100,000 and Vanover conscionable nether $160,000 successful benefits for costly aesculapian instrumentality that were not provided.

They agreed to wage backmost that money. Portis is scheduled for sentencing connected Jan. 6 and Vanover connected Jan. 22.

An NFL spokesperson did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

The league established the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan aft the 2006 corporate bargaining statement to supply tax-free reimbursement of aesculapian expenses up to $350,000 per player.

Portis, Vanover and McCune were primitively indicted successful the Eastern District of Kentucky successful December 2019. Twelve different retired players had antecedently been charged and pleaded blameworthy to conspiracy to perpetrate wellness attraction fraud, including erstwhile Chiefs and Saints receiver Joe Horn and longtime antiaircraft backmost Carlos Rogers.

The FBI investigated the lawsuit crossed the U.S., according to the Justice Department.

McCune, 42, was a 2005 fifth-round draught prime who played 8 NFL games astatine linebacker with Washington and Baltimore.

Vanover, 47, was taken successful the 3rd circular of the 1995 draught by Kansas City and played 77 games astatine receiver for the Chiefs and Chargers.

Portis, 40, was a second-round prime of the Broncos successful 2002 and won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors that year. The moving backmost played 113 games with Denver and Washington from 2002-2010.