On Thursday, former NFL running back Clinton Portis was sentenced to six months in prison and six months of home confinement after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Portis pled guilty in September to defrauding the program of nearly $100,000 by filing bogus medical equipment claims.
According to court documents, Portis permitted former NFL linebacker Robert McCune to make reimbursement claims for an oxygen chamber and a cryosauna on his behalf.
“Portis knew the claims McCune submitted on his behalf were false and fraudulent or was aware of a high probability that that the claims McCune submitted on his behalf were false and fraudulent and deliberately ignored that fact,” the plea agreement read.
According to ESPN, the Department of Justice requested a sentence between 10 and 16 months, claiming in a pre-sentence document Thursday that it requested a longer sentence since Portis continued to deny his guilt until he faced a retrial after the hung jury.
More than a dozen ex-NFL players involved in the scheme, including former Saints receiver Joe Horn, who received three years probation, and former Eagles running back Correll Buckhalter, who received ten months in prison, are among the fifteen players who have pled guilty to engaging in the $3.4 million fraud.
According to ESPN, Tamarick Vanover will be the next player to be sentenced on Jan. 22.
As part of his guilty plea, Portis agreed to repay the total amount of $99,264. His crime carried a maximum penalty of 10 years.
