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Ex-NFL Players Plead Guilty in Multimillion-Dollar Healthcare Scam

Three players were charged with defrauding a 2006 agreement to provide tax-free medical care reimbursements to players.

On Tuesday, three former NFL players pleaded guilty to executing a scheme to defraud a health care benefit program for retired NFL players. Clinton Portis, 40; Tamarick Vanover, 47; and Robert McCune, 40, were accused of defrauding the 2006 Gene Upshaw NFL Player Reimbursement Account Plan, which provides tax-free medical care reimbursements of up to $350,000 per player for costs not covered by insurance.

Vanover recruited three other ex-players into the scheme to obtain $159,510 for expensive medical equipment that was not actually provided, the Department of Justice alleged. McCune orchestrated the scheme, resulting in $2.9 million in fake claims, of which $2.5 million was paid out. Twelve additional former NFL players have been charged for participating in the scheme.