Tag: NFL

A former National Soccer League (NFL) participant was sentenced right now to 5 years in prison for orchestrating a nationwide scheme to defraud a health care gain system for retired NFL players.  

According to court docket files, Robert McCune, 42, of Riverdale, Ga, defrauded the Gene Upshaw NFL Participant Wellbeing Reimbursement Account Program (the Plan). The Program was set up pursuant to the NFL’s 2006 collective bargaining agreement. It presented former gamers, their spouses and their dependents, up to a utmost of $350,000 per participant tax-free of charge reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical treatment charges that were not included by insurance plan.

Courtroom files clearly show that McCune submitted phony and fraudulent promises to the System on his personal behalf and on behalf of dozens of other previous NFL players. Amongst June 5, 2017, and April 12, 2018, he submitted 68 claims for 51 other gamers. The claims generally sought reimbursement of $40,000 or a lot more for costly healthcare machines these types of as hyperbaric oxygen chambers, ultrasound machines and electromagnetic remedy units. None of the professional medical gear explained in the statements was ever procured or been given. In complete, McCune and his co-conspirators submitted around $2.9 million in fraudulent claims to the Prepare.  

Court documents additional present that McCune attained pinpointing data for other contributors in the Strategy, which include the player’s identify, coverage identification range, social stability variety, mailing address and/or date of birth. In exchange for submitting the wrong and fraudulent claims, McCune demanded kickbacks and bribes in the countless numbers of dollars for each individual declare submitted. 

McCune pleaded responsible to a single count of conspiracy to commit well being care fraud and wire fraud, 10 counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of health care fraud and three counts of aggravated id theft.

13 other defendants have been sentenced for their participation in the nationwide plan:

• John Eubanks, 38, of Cleveland, Mississippi, was sentenced to 18 months in prison
• Tamarick Vanover, 47, of Tallahassee, Florida, and Ceandris Brown, 39, of Iowa Colony, Texas, were each and every sentenced to a calendar year and a day in jail
• Correll Buckhalter, 43, of Colleyville, Texas, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, adopted by 300 days’ home detention
• Clinton Portis, 40, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, was sentenced to 6 months in prison, adopted by 180 days’ residence detention
• Etric Pruitt, 40, of Theodore, Alabama, was sentenced to three months in jail, followed by 180 days’ dwelling detention
• James Butler, 39, of Atlanta, Ga, was sentenced to two months in prison, followed by 180 days’ home detention
• Carlos Rogers, 40, of Alpharetta, Ga, was sentenced to 180 days’ property detention and 400 several hours of local community company
• Anthony Montgomery, 37, of Cleveland, Ohio Antwan Odom, 40, of Irvington, Alabama Darrell Reid, 39, of Farmingdale, New Jersey and Fredrick Bennett, 38, of Port Wentworth, Ga, have been each and every sentenced to 180 days’ household detention and 240 several hours of neighborhood company and
• Joe Horn, 50,