2 former NBA players sentenced to 30, 24 months in jail for defrauding league’s health and benefit plan

Keyon Dooling and Alan Anderson were sentenced to 30 and 24 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in a scheme to defraud the NBA’s Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit Plan.

Eighteen players, in which NBA vet Terrence Williams was the ringleader, were involved in a scheme to defraud the NBA’s health care plan out of more than $5 million.

Williams, Dooling and Anderson recruited other former NBA players to defraud the plan by submitting false invoices by medical officials.

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Keyon Dooling #55 of the Memphis Grizzlies dribbles the ball up the floor against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals during the 2013 NBA Playoffs on May 27, 2013 at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.

Keyon Dooling #55 of the Memphis Grizzlies dribbles the ball up the floor against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Finals during the 2013 NBA Playoffs on May 27, 2013 at FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

Dooling, who participated in the scheme for around two years, was ordered to forfeit $449,250.50 and pay restitution of $547,495, while Anderson was ordered to forfeit $121,000 and pay restitution of $121,000, according to the United States Department of Justice. 

Both players also recruited several former players to join and “encouraged them to submit forged letters of medical necessity to substantiate those claims.”

“These former players recruited others to take part in this widespread fraud scheme and went to great lengths to keep the scheme running smoothly, facilitating hundreds of thousands of dollars of fraudulent claims,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a statement. “This Office will continue to aggressively prosecute those engaged in health care fraud schemes, no matter what their profession. Those considering submitting false claims to health care plans should recognize that they will be subject to serious penalties.”

Alan Anderson #6 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the Atlanta Hawks during game six in the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center on May 1, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.  The Hawks defeated the Nets 111-87 to win the best of seven series 4 games to 2.

Alan Anderson #6 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the Atlanta Hawks during game six in the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center on May 1, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.  The Hawks defeated the Nets 111-87 to win the best of seven series 4 games to 2. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

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“Williams led a scheme involving more than 18 former NBA players, a dentist, a doctor, and a chiropractor, to defraud the NBA Players’ Health and Welfare Benefit Plan of millions of dollars,” Williams said in a statement back in August. “Williams also impersonated others to help him take what was not his — money that belonged to the Plan.”

Williams pled guilty in August, but has not yet been sentenced. It was originally scheduled for January.

Keyon Dooling #55 of the Memphis Grizzlies advances the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2013 NBA Playoffs on May 15, 2013 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Keyon Dooling #55 of the Memphis Grizzlies advances the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Five of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2013 NBA Playoffs on May 15, 2013 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Dooling played 13 seasons in the NBA and was most recently a player development coach for the Utah Jazz. Anderson played eight NBA seasons and four seasons overseas.

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