Former NBA champion Glen Davis has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for his role in a plot to swindle millions from the league’s healthcare system, according to court documents from the Southern District of New York. This shocking development has led to the once-celebrated basketball star, Glen Davis, now finding himself behind bars for 40 months.
The Dark Scheme that Landed Glen Davis Behind Bars for 40 Months
The story began when Davis and seventeen other people were charged in October of last year with engaging in a complex scheme to defraud the NBA’s health insurance program. The filing of over $4 million in fictitious claims for dental and medical services that were never provided was the subject of several allegations. Following indictments by federal prosecutors in Manhattan back in 2021, the FBI moved quickly.
According to court documents, Davis, who was formerly known as “Big Baby” during his NBA career, was also hit with a $80,000 reparation order. Although his attorneys made passing references to an appeal, they said little more about their future intentions.
Another former NBA player, Terrence Williams, found himself ensnared in the web of deceit. Prosecutors dubbed Williams as “the mastermind behind the conspiracy.” His guilty plea in 2022 to charges of aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit healthcare and wire fraud paved his path to a 10-year incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Not to mention, a hefty bill of $653,672 to forfeit and a whopping $2.5 million in restitution. Despite CNN’s attempts to reach out, Williams’ attorney kept mum.
Inquiring minds turned to the NBA for a response, yet the league remained tight-lipped on the matter.
Drafted in 2007 by the Seattle Supersonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder), Davis found himself traded to the Boston Celtics. His career spanned eight seasons, including a pivotal role in the Celtics’ 2008 NBA championship win, followed by stints with the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Clippers. Throughout his tenure, Davis boasted an average of 8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
The FBI’s dragnet cast a wide net, resulting in the arrest of 16 individuals post the 2021 indictments.
Former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Audrey Strauss, laid bare the details of the scheme. Williams allegedly procured bogus medical and dental invoices, disseminating them among his cohorts, who then funneled these claims into the plan, often pocketing reimbursements for fictitious procedures. The scam, which unfolded around November 2017, enticed participants to file claims ranging from $65,000 to a staggering $420,000 for phony medical expenses. Shockingly, some claimants were nowhere near the purported treatment sites, as evidenced by travel records and basketball box scores, like one player who supposedly underwent dental work in Beverly Hills while playing ball in Taiwan.
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