5 former Raptors arrested for defrauding NBA benefits program: report

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Five ex-Toronto Raptors players are among 18 NBA players who have reportedly been arrested and charged for defrauding the league’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan out of approximately $4,000,000, according to a report.

NBC correspondent Tom Winter listed Jamario Moon, Milt Palacio, Sebastian Telfair, Antoine Wright, and Alan Anderson as former Toronto Raptors players listed in the report.

BREAKING: 18 former NBA players have been arrested and charged federally for defrauding the NBA’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan out of approximately $4,000,000, law enforcement officials say.

Reported by @jonathan4ny
and me.

— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) October 7, 2021

Winter added that 16 of the 18 players are already in federal custody.

More former players:
– Terrence Williams
– Alan Anderson
– Tony Allen
– Shannon Brown
– William Bynum
– Melvin Ely
– Christopher Douglas-Roberts
– Tony Wroten

(2/2)

— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) October 7, 2021

“The defendants’ playbook involved fraud and deception,” US attorney Audrey Strauss told reporters. “They will have to answer for their flagrant violations of law.”

The players were facing counts of “conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud,” per an NBC report.

Terrence Williams was named as the “linchpin” of the organization, who would help supply players with falsified medical reports.

“Travel records, email, GPS data and other evidence shows that the defendants who purportedly received medical and dental services at a location on a particular date were often nowhere near the providers offices when the claimed services were supposedly provided,” Strauss added.

Jamario Moon played 132 games for the Raptors from 2007-2009, while also representing the team at the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Anderson played 82 games from 2011-13, Wright played 67 games in 2009-10, Palacio played 59 games in 2003-04, and Telfair played 13 games in 2012-13.