Photo Credit: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Terrence Williams Pleads Guilty In NBA Health And Welfare Benefit Plan Fraud

Last year, reports by Tom Winter, about the arrest of 18 former NBA players for defrauding the NBA’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan, sent shockwaves through the NBA world.

One of the tactics of the former players in this fraud then was revealed by the U.S. attorney – Tony Allen, Glen Davis and Tony Wroten for example, claimed that they got root canals on the same six teeth on the same day. 

Former NBA player and chairman of the National Basketball Retired Players Association, Spencer Haywood fought for full health care for retired players, especially those who played before the big NBA pay days.

Haywood, as you can imagine was heartbroken about the reports of the fraud, especially upon realizing how much work was required to encourage the NBPA to agree to fund a full health care package.

Per the Boston Globe:

“I get stopped now and people asking about it and I’ve talked to some former players asking, ‘what is it going to do to us?’ ” Haywood said. “So it’s up in the air. It’s just sad, man. Some of the names I was saddened to hear, like Glen Davis, I was like wait a minute, I didn’t think he was that kind of a person. He’s made, what, $40 million in salary? What are you doing man?

“It hurts because all of these young guys, instead of working with the players’ union and trying to make it better, they’re trying to take away from it and all of these people’s reputations. Julius Erving is under this program, all of us are. People put it on the line so we can have a great league and on the 75th anniversary [of the NBA], this is what we’ve got?”

Now, Terrence Williams, the accused ringleader of the scheme, pleaded guilty over his involvement.

Williams, who played for the New Jersey Nets and three other teams from 2009 to 2013, entered his plea in federal court in Manhattan on Friday. He is scheduled to be sentenced in January, and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy charge and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison for the identity theft.

Per Reuters:

The 35-year-old Seattle resident also agreed to pay $2.5 million in restitution to the NBA plan and forfeit $653,673 to the United States.

Lawyers for Williams did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Prosecutors said Williams recruited players to submit false invoices for medical and dental work that was never performed, in exchange for at least $300,000 of kickbacks.