Terrence Williams, a former NBA player, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud an NBA health insurer of nearly $5 million.
A federal judge sentenced Terrence Williams, who came into the NBA as the No. 11 overall pick in the 2009 Draft, on the grounds that the Seattle native used his people skills to entice others to help him with his fraud, which began after he “squandered” most of his winnings. Williams played for the Nets, Rockets, Kings and Celtics.
The judge also sentenced Terrence Williams to pay more than $2.5 million as compensation for his scam, which ran from 2017 to 2021. He ran the scam with the help of a California dentist and local doctors, who generated bogus medical and dental expenses, to submit to the NBA Health and Welfare Benefit Plan, who would pay out for such costs.
“You were just another player who squandered the substantial earnings you made during the time you played basketball professionally (you grossed 6.9 million). You should have had enough money to set you up for life, but you don’t,” Judge Valerie E. Caproni said in his statement.
Terrence Williams
The judge accused Terrence Williams of using his big personality to entice friends and others to join him in a scheme to steal money. “You think first and foremost of yourself and not others,” he said.
Terrence Williams blames stupidity, greed and opiate addiction for his behavior
Terrence Williams, who blamed “stupidity and greed” and his opioid addiction for his criminal behavior, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and health care fraud and identity theft.
“I take 100 percent full responsibility for my role in this case,” Williams said.
18 other NBA players implicated in the scheme
Eighteen other NBA players were implicated in the case, of which 13 (who in their careers total $343 million in revenue from NBA contracts alone) pleaded guilty and will not go to prison.
During the trial, the prosecution named Tony Allen, Shannon Brown, Sebastian Telfair, Darius Miles, Alan Anderson (formerly of Barcelona), Antoine Wright (formerly of Estudiantes), William Bynum, Melvin Ely, Christopher Douglas-Roberts, Tony Wroten, Milt Palacio, Ruben Patterson, Eddie Robinson, Gregory Smith and Jamario Moon.
The prosecution proved that at least 10 NBA players paid bribes totaling about $230,000 to Williams.
