Former NBA player Terrence Williams receives 10-year prison term for fraud / News - Basketnews.com

11th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, Terrence Williams, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a $5 million healthcare fraud scheme, involving other medical professionals, after squandering substantial earnings from his professional basketball career.

Credit: Reuters-Scanpix Credit Reuters-Scanpix

A former NBA first-round draft pick was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Thursday. The judge stated that the player, Terrence Williams, skillfully convinced others to assist him in committing a $5 million healthcare fraud, squandering substantial earnings from his basketball career.

Williams, 36, from Seattle, was also instructed to forfeit over $650,000 and pay $2.5 million in restitution for defrauding the NBA's Health and Welfare Benefit Plan between 2017 and 2021.

He collaborated with a dentist in California and doctors in California and Washington state to generate profits through fabricated medical and dental expense claims.

Prosecutors revealed that Williams recruited individuals to process the fraudulent invoices from the medical professionals, all of which were aimed at defrauding the health benefits plan designed for active and former NBA players and their families.

Judge Valerie E. Caproni reprimanded Williams during the sentencing, pointing out that he had wasted his considerable basketball earnings and should have been financially secure for life.

Williams was chosen as the 11th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the then-New Jersey Nets. He played for various teams, including the Nets, Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, and Sacramento Kings, before his career concluded in 2013.

Williams had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, as well as aggravated identity theft.

His case was part of a broader investigation that led to criminal charges against 18 former NBA players. So far, 13 of them have pleaded guilty, with some receiving "time served" or probation instead of prison sentences.

Authorities found that at least 10 ex-players paid kickbacks totaling about $230,000 to Williams.

Although most of the accused players had modest careers with multiple teams and never attained the stardom or salaries of top players, they collectively earned $343 million during their NBA careers, excluding outside income, endorsements, or earnings from playing overseas.

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