Keyon Dooling, a player development coach for the Utah Jazz and former NBA point guard, has been added to a group of 19 defendants charged in a sprawling scheme to defraud the NBA’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan. The Justice Department said the group submitted $5 million in claims for non-existent medical and dental services, $350,000 of which went to Dooling. In two of several text messages cited by prosecutors, Dooling spoke to a dentist about creating fake invoices for other players. “Let’s make this thing grow sir,” he allegedly wrote. The dentist, Aamir Wahab, allegedly responded, “Lol I’m down bro[.] Get me the whole NBA [laughing emoji].” Dooling is a child sex abuse survivor who has been outspoken about mental health. He had a psychiatric breakdown in 2012 that prompted him to retire and instead join the Celtics’ coaching staff, become director of the players association’s mental health program, and start motivational speaking. Ex-player Terrence Williams was charged in 2021 with masterminding the fraud scheme.
Read it at Department of Justice
