Former Redskins Players Charged In Health Care Fraud Scheme

Former Washington Redskins players are among 10 charged in connection with a scheme to defraud a health care program for retired NFL players, federal officials announced Thursday.

Clinton Portis, 38, of McLean, Virginia, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of health care fraud. A running back for the Redskins from 2004 to 2010, he is a two-time Pro Bowl pick and among the 80 Greatest Redskins.

Robert McCune, 40, of Riverdale, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, nine counts of wire fraud and nine counts of health care fraud. He is a 2005 Redskins draft pick.

John Eubanks, 36, of Cleveland, Mississippi, and Carlos Rogers, 38, of Alpharetta, Georgia are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of health care fraud. Eubanks played for the Redskins in 2006 and 2007, while Rogers played for the Redskins from 2005 to 2010.

The 10 former NFL players are accused of defrauding the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan. This health plan was established in 2006 through a collective bargaining agreement and provided for tax-free reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical care expenses that were not covered by insurance and that were incurred by former players, their wives and their dependents – up to a maximum of $350,000 per player, according to authorities.

Prosecutors accuse the former players of allegedly filing more than $3.9 million in false and fraudulent claims to the plan, which paid out more than $3.4 million on those claims between June 2017 and 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 Benczkowski said in a prepared statement. "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 indictments charge that the scheme to defraud involved the submission of false and fraudulent claims to the plan for expensive medical equipment – typically between $40,000 and $50,000 for each claim – that was never purchased or received.

The expensive medical equipment described on the false and fraudulent claims included hyperbaric oxygen chambers, cryotherapy machines, ultrasound machines designed for use by a doctor's office to conduct women's health examinations, and electromagnetic therapy devices designed for use on horses.

As part of the scheme, the defendants allegedly fabricated supporting documentation for the claims, such as invoices, prescriptions, and letters of medical necessity.

Other former NFL players charged are:

• Tamarick Vanover, 45, of Tallahassee, Florida (former Kansas City Chiefs player) is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of health care fraud.
• Ceandris Brown, 36, of Fresno, Texas (former Houston Texans player); James Butler, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia (former New York Giants and St. Louis Rams player); and Fredrick Bennett, 35, of Port Wentworth, Georgia (former Houston Texans player), are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of health care fraud.
• Etric Pruitt, 38, of Theodore, Alabama (former Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks player), is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud.

Additionally, charges are planned to be filed against Joseph Horn, 47, of Columbia, South Carolina (former New Orleans Saints player), and Donald "Reche" Caldwell, 40, of Tampa, Florida (former San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots player) for conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

According to allegations in the indictments, Buckhalter, McCune, Eubanks, Vanover, Rogers and others recruited other players into the scheme by offering to submit or cause the submission of these claims for kickbacks and bribes that ranged from a few thousand dollars to $10,000 or more per claim submitted.