Former Celtics forward found guilty in healthcare fraud scheme

Former Celtics forward found guilty in healthcare fraud scheme.

Former Celtics big man Glen Davis was found guilty on Wednesday on charges related to a scheme defrauding the NBA’s healthcare system. Davis and former NBA guard Will Bynum were both found guilty in federal court for taking part in a theme that created fake claims for dental and medical procedures.

Davis faces up to 20 years in prison but will likely see a far shorter jail term than that according to multiple reports. The ringleader of the scheme, another former Celtics guard Terrence Williams was sentenced to ten years in prison earlier this year. Ex-Boston guards Sebastian Telfair and Tony Allen were also among the 18 former players charged in the scheme. Allen was sentenced to three years of probation and community service after pleading guilty back in August. Telfair is still awaiting sentencing.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams released a statement Wednesday after Davis and Bynum were found guilty.

“A Manhattan jury convicted former NBA players Ronald Glen Davis and William Bynum of a criminal scheme to defraud the NBA Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan,” the statement said. “While many of the more than 20 defendants convicted in this case were well-known NBA stars, their conduct was otherwise a typical fraudulent scheme designed to defraud the NBA’s health care plan and net the defendants over $5 million in illicit profits. Today’s conviction exemplifies that despite notoriety or success in sports or any other field, no one is exempt from criminal charges if they engage in fraud.”

Davis spent the first four seasons of his NBA career with the Celtics, winning an NBA title as a rookie in 2008. He was a key member of the team’s 2010 appearance in the NBA Finals before spending the remainder of his career with the Magic and Clippers. He has had a number of run-ins with the law over the past five years.