Former NBA Star Glen Davis Receives 40-Month Prison Sentence for Involvement in Health Care Fraud Scheme

Former NBA champion Glen Davis, aged 38, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for his involvement in a scheme to defraud the league’s health care plan out of millions of dollars, as per federal court records from the Southern District of New York.

Davis was among 18 former NBA players who were indicted in October 2021 for their alleged participation in a "widespread scheme to defraud" the NBA’s health plan. They were accused of submitting almost $4 million in "false and fraudulent" claims for medical and dental services that were never actually provided.

Davis, known as "Big Baby" during his time in the NBA, has been ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution as stated in court documents. In November, he was convicted of wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to commit health care fraud, and conspiracy to make false statements regarding health care issues, according to court documents.

When CNN reached out for a statement, Davis' lawyer mentioned that they plan to appeal the decision but did not provide any additional comments.

Court documents reveal that former NBA player Terrence Williams was also found guilty in the same case.

Williams, deemed the "leader of the conspiracy" by prosecutors, admitted guilt to aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud in 2022, as stated in a judgment order. In August 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release.

Court documents reveal that in addition to his prison sentence, Williams was ordered to forfeit $653,672 and pay $2,500,000 in restitution.

Williams’ attorney did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

CNN has reached out to the NBA for comment.

Davis was originally drafted by the Seattle Supersonics, now known as the Oklahoma City Thunder, in the 2007 NBA Draft. His rights were later traded to the Boston Celtics, where he played for eight seasons. He was a part of the Celtics' championship-winning team in 2008, and also played for the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Throughout his NBA career, Davis averaged eight points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Glen Davis drives for a shot against Rashard Lewis (right) of the Orlando Magic in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2010 NBA playoffs.

Glen Davis drives for a shot against Rashard Lewis (right) of the Orlando Magic in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2010 NBA playoffs.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

A total of 16 people were arrested by the FBI following the 2021 indictment by Manhattan federal prosecutors.

In 2021, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Audrey Strauss, revealed that the main person in charge, Williams, reportedly got fake medical and dental bills. He then passed these bills to his partners in crime, who later sent them to the insurance plan. Surprisingly, the plan actually paid "most" of these claims for services that were never even provided.

According to Strauss, this fraudulent scheme started in November 2017.

Each individual allegedly attempted to request reimbursement for medical services ranging from $65,000 to as much as $420,000, according to Strauss. She mentioned that in numerous instances, the individuals who submitted the invoices were not even in the vicinity of where they claimed to have received the treatments.

Strauss revealed that a former NBA player submitted a claim for $48,000, stating that he underwent IV sedation, root canals, and crowns on eight teeth on December 20, 2018, at an office in Beverly Hills, California. However, she pointed out that travel records and even "publicly available box scores" indicate that on that specific date, the individual was actually playing professional basketball in Taiwan.

Editor's P/S:

The recent sentencing of former NBA champion Glen Davis for his involvement in a multi-million dollar healthcare fraud scheme has sent shockwaves through the sports world. The scandal, which also implicated 17 other former players, highlights the rampant corruption and greed that can permeate even the most elite levels of professional sports