Clinton Portis among 10 former players charged with defrauding NFL health care program

Source: Washington Post




By Adam Kilgore and
Rick Maese
Dec. 12, 2019 at 10:29 a.m. MST
The Justice Department charged 10 former NFL players, including a group of former Washington Redskins that includes running back Clinton Portis and cornerback Carlos Rogers, with defrauding a health care program for retired players of nearly $4 million, according to court documents.

After an FBI investigation, the Justice Department filed charges Thursday morning in the Eastern District of Kentucky against Robert McCune, John Eubanks, Tamarick Vanover, Ceandris Brown, James Butler, Frederick Bennett, Correll Buckhalter, Etric Pruitt, Portis and Rogers.

The government also intends to charge former NFL wide receivers Joe Horn and Reche Caldwell with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, according to a news release.



The specific combination of charges for the 10 players vary by individual but include conspiracy to commit health care wire fraud, wire fraud and health care fraud. Portis was charged with all three. The charges carry a legal maximum penalty of 50 years combined, though in white-collar cases, federal sentencing guidelines likely will call for a term far below that.

Four former NFL players were arrested Thursday morning, and the others, including Portis, are expected to surrender at some point. The arrested players were McCune in Georgia, Eubanks in Mississippi, Brown in Texas and Rogers in Georgia.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/12/12/clinton-portis-among-former-nfl-players-charged-with-defrauding-health-care-program/