Former Miami Dolphin Among 10 Ex-NFL Players Charged In Fraud

WASHINGTON, DC — Former NFL player Robert McCune, who was briefly on the Miami Dolphins, is among 10 former NFL players charged in a nationwide scheme to defraud a health care benefit program of millions of dollars that was intended to help NFL retirees.

The 40-year-old McCune of Riverdale Georgia was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, nine counts of wire fraud and nine counts of health care fraud. McCune was drafted by the Washington Redskins when he began his career and he went on to be signed by the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens.

Federal prosecutors accuse the former NFL players of targeting the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan, which provided tax-free reimbursement for out-of-pocket medical care expenses not covered by insurance. Those charged made more than $3.9 million in false and fraudulent claims against the plan and were paid out $3.4 million between June 2017 and December 2018, the Justice Department said.

"Ten former NFL players allegedly committed a brazen, multi-million dollar fraud on a health care plan meant to help their former teammates and other retired players pay legitimate, out-of-pocket medical expenses," Assistant Attorney General Brian Allen Benczkowski said in a prepared statement. "Today’s indictments underscore that whoever you are, if you loot health care programs to line your own pockets, you will be held accountable by the Department of Justice."

FBI Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the Miami Field Office said health care scams are rampant across the country.

“In this case, these fraudsters pocketed money from the Gene Upshaw National Football League Health Reimbursement Account Plan that was intended for former NFL players who are ill or infirm," Piro explained. "Over 20 FBI field offices participated in this investigation which demonstrates the level of commitment we have to rooting out this type of fraud.”

The other players charged in the alleged fraud are:

• Ceandris, Brown, 36, of Fresno, Texas, a former player for the Houston Texans. Brown is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of health care fraud.
• Correll Buckhalter, 41, of Colleyville, Texas, who has played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Denver Broncos. Buckhalter is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud.
• John Eubanks, 36, of Cleveland, Mississippi. Eubanks has played football in Canada and also played for the Washington Redskins. He was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of health care fraud.
• Tamarick Vanover, 45, of Tallahassee, Florida. Vanover has played for the Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers. He was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of health care fraud.
• Carlos Rogers, 38, of Alpharetta, Georgia. Rogers has played for the Redskins, the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders. He was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, two counts of wire fraud and two counts of health care fraud.
• Clinton Portis, 38, of McLean, Virginia. Portis has played for the Washington Redskins and the Denver Broncos. He was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of health care fraud.
• James Butler, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia. Butler has played for the New York Giants and the St. Louis Rams. He was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of health care fraud.
• Frederick Bennett, 35, of Port Wentworth, Georgia was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of health care fraud.
• Etric Pruitt, 38, of Theodore, Alabama, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud. Pruitt has played for a number of teams including the Atlanta Falcons and the Seattle Seahawks.

Government prosecutors also said they have filed notice that they intend to charge Joseph Horn, 47, of Columbia, South Carolina, and Donald "Reche" Caldwell, 40, of Tampa, Florida, with conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

The indictments filed by federal authorities say the scheme involved submitting false and fraudulent claims to the plan for expensive medical equipment, between $40,000-$50,000 for each claim. The equipment was never purchased, officials said.

Five of the former players — McCune, Eubanks, Vanover, Buckhalter and Rogers — recruited others into the scheme by offering to submit fraudulent claims in exchange for kickbacks and bribes, the department alleged.

"As part of the scheme, the defendants allegedly fabricated supporting documentation for the claims, including invoices, prescriptions and letters of medical necessity," officials said.

After submitting the claims, the government said McCune and Buckhalter are accused of calling the phone number provided by the plan and impersonated other players to check on the status of the claims.

The cases will be prosecuted by Trial Attorneys John Scanlon, Alexander J. Kramer and Thomas J. Tynan of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul C. McCaffrey and Andrew E. Smith of the Eastern District of Kentucky are prosecuting the cases.

Patch editor Feroze Dhanoa contributed to this report.