Eight former NFL players and athletic trainer indicted in $723,000 health care scam
Eight former NFL players and a Houston-based athletic trainer have been indicted in a health care scheme that prosecutors say defrauded an NFL player trust fund.
The eight former players charged are Corey Bradford, James Adkisson, Shantee Orr, Clint Ingram, Jonathan Hadnot Jr., Chadwick Slaughter, Derrick Pope, and Fabian Washington. Kim Ogg, district attorney for Harris County in Texas, made the announcement Monday.
“This fund was created to help former players get medical services, and cheating the system means they were stealing from other players and former teammates,” Ogg said in a news release. “Investigating and seeking justice for white-collar criminals takes time, effort and cooperation among agencies, and we want to thank them for uncovering this scheme.”
The former players are accused of submitting false reimbursement claims worth $723,826 through an athletic trainer who owns the Rehab Express rehabilitation facility.
Louis Ray, the facility’s owner, is accused of creating fraudulent invoices which “claim to perform treatments on players” from 2016 to 2018.
“The players would then sign and submit forms to be reimbursed by the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Plan, a health-reimbursement account,” according to the news release. “The players are accused of pocketing the reimbursement money and paying Ray for signing and verifying the fake invoices.”
Ray, who surrendered to authorities Monday, received almost $113,000 through the scheme, according to Ogg’s office.
“Health insurance scams are insidious because that kind of fraud leads to higher premiums for everyone else,” special assistant district attorney Rick Watson said in the news release. “Not only does it increase the rates, but it costs a lot of taxpayer money to investigate these.”
Bradford, a former wide receiver, and Orr, a former linebacker, played for the Houston Texans.
Adkisson is a former tight end who spent a season playing on the practice squads of the Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders.
Ingram, a former linebacker, spent three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and three with the New Orleans Saints.
Hadnot Jr., known as “Rex Hadnot,” a former guard, hopped around the league from 2004 to 2012.
Slaughter was an undrafted offensive tackle signed by the Dallas Cowboys in 2000 and currently works for the Trinidad Garza Early College High School in Dallas, according to the school’s website.
Pope played with the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings before heading to the Canadian Football League in 2009.
Washington, a former cornerback, was selected 23rd in the 2005 NFL Draft by Oakland.
This story was originally published September 28, 2020 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Eight former NFL players and athletic trainer indicted in $723,000 health care scam."