(NEW YORK) — Eighteen former NBA players, including Sebastian Telfair, Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Darius Miles, have been charged with defrauding the NBA’s health and welfare benefit plan out of approximately $4 million, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
The players were charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud as part of what prosecutors called a “widespread scheme to defraud” the NBA health care benefit plan.
They allegedly submitted false or fraudulent claims totaling nearly $4 million, from which the ex-players took in about $2.5 million.
The records submitted by the ex-players “described medical and dental services that were not in fact provided,” the indictment said.
The fraudulent invoices were created by a chiropractic office in Encino, California, two dentist offices in Beverly Hills and a wellness office in Washington state. The indictment named none of the offices allegedly involved and they were not charged.
Other ex-players charged include Terrence Williams, Alan Anderson, Anthony Allen, Shannon Brown, William Bynum, Christopher Douglas-Roberts, Melvin Ely, Jamario Moon, Milton Palacio, Ruben Patterson, Eddie Robinson, Gregory Smith, Charles Watson Jr., Antoine Wright and Anthony Wroten.
“Williams recruited other plan participants to defraud the plan by offering to supply them with false invoices to support their false and fraudulent claims to the plan in exchange for the payment kickbacks to Williams,” the indictment said.
The indictment also alleges that Williams impersonated an individual who processed the plan’s claims. Williams, the indictment said, received $230,000 in kickbacks from the other defendants for his role.
The defrauded NBA plan is intended to give additional coverage to eligible NBA players’ existing medical coverage, according to the indictment, by reimbursing “certain medical expenses incurred by eligible active and former NBA players, their spouses, and other dependents that are no covered by a player’s primary insurance carrier.”
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
NATIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
LA Dodgers 3, St. Louis 1
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON
Phoenix 117, LA Lakers 105
Detroit 115, San Antonio 105
Cleveland 99, Atlanta 96
New Orleans 104, Orlando 86
Dallas 111, Utah 101
Golden State 118, Denver 116
Sacramento 113 LA Clippers 98
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PRESEASON
Columbus 4, Detroit 2
NY Rangers 6, New Jersey 2
Washington 4, Boston 3 (OT)
Minnesota 4, St. Louis 3 (OT)
Winnipeg 3, Calgary 2
Los Angeles 6, Anaheim 3
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Chicago 79, Connecticut 69
Las Vegas 93, Phoenix 76
(WASHINGTON) — Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said at a Senate hearing Tuesday that the Department of Justice is conducting a review into its decision to not bring charges against agents who failed to investigate allegations of sex abuse by former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
Less than three weeks ago, gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisman testified before the Senate over alleged FBI failures in handling the case against Nassar.
Monaco’s announcement followed widespread condemnation from lawmakers during a blockbuster hearing last month with the gymnasts, who detailed horrific experiences of sexual assault, and a damning inspector general report that highlighted the abuses and how agents initially on the case appear to have mishandled the athletes’ allegations.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were deeply critical of the Justice Department last month for declining their invitation to attend the hearing alongside FBI Director Christopher Wray and IG Michael Horowitz.
“I can inform the committee today that the recently confirmed assistant attorney general for the criminal division [Kenneth Polite] is currently reviewing this matter, including new information that has come to light,” Monaco said. “In light of that review, I think you’ll understand, Mr. Chairman, that I’m constrained in what more I can say about it, but I do want the committee, and frankly I want the survivors, to understand how exceptionally seriously we take this issue and believe that this deserves a thorough and full review.”
Monaco further assured Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., there was a “sense of urgency and gravity” with the recently launched review.
Earlier in her testimony, Monaco said she was “shocked” and “horrified” both about the findings included in the DOJ IG’s report as well as the experiences detailed by Biles, Maroney, Nichols and Raisman.
“I am deeply sorry that in this case the victims did not receive the response or the protection that they deserved,” Monaco said.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Boston 6, NY Yankees 2
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON
New York 125, Indiana 104
Chicago 131, Cleveland 95
Houston 125, Washington 119
Memphis 87, Milwaukee 77
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PRESEASON
Florida 3, Tampa Bay 2
NY Islanders 3, Philadelphia 0
Final Toronto 6 Montreal 2
Nashville 3, Carolina 2 (OT)
Pittsburgh 5, Buffalo 4 (SO)
Dallas 3, St. Louis 1
Vegas 7, Colorado 4
Seattle 4, Vancouver 0
Arizona 4, Los Angeles 1
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PRESEASON
Toronto 123, Philadelphia 107
Boston 98, Orlando 97
Miami 125, Atlanta 99
Charlotte 113, Oklahoma City 97
Minnesota 117, New Orleans 114
San Antonio 111, Utah 85
Sacramento 117, Phoenix 106
Final Golden State 121, Portland 107
LA Clippers 103, Denver 102
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PRESEASON
Columbus 5, Buffalo 3
New Jersey 4, Washington 1
Toronto 3, Ottawa 1
Philadelphia 2, Boston 1 (OT)
Chicago 6, Detroit 4
Minnesota 3, Colorado 1
Edmonton 4, Calgary 3
Anaheim 3, San Jose 2 (OT)
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
LA Chargers 28, Las Vegas 14
(SAN FRANCISCO) — Andrew Wiggins, an NBA player who has vocally opposed the COVID-19 vaccine, just received a dose, according to his coach.
Wiggins, of the Golden State Warriors, refused to answer reporters’ questions about his vaccination status during a news conference last Monday.
“It’s my problem…Not yours,” he said.
But Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters Sunday that the 26-year-old did get vaccinated.
“He just told me today that he was fine with us acknowledging it,” Kerr said.
Kerr didn’t provide any more details including which vaccine Wiggins received.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health bars unvaccinated residents over the age of 12 from attending indoor events. The rule goes into effect for employees of indoor businesses on Oct. 13, eight days before the Warriors’ home opener.
Wiggins applied for a religious exemption with the NBA, but his request was denied, ESPN reported.
(Guntersville, Ala.) — As a former Division I college football player for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, Justin Moon faced many challenges on the field.
But more than a decade later, the 36-year-old step dad may have met his toughest opponent yet, when coronavirus left him fighting for his life earlier this summer just days before he was set to get his first dose of vaccine, he said.
“There’s only one other step beyond where I was at, and that’s cremation or going in your box,” Moon, who is still hospitalized but on the road to recovery, told ABC News. “I actually died for 4 minutes, and they paddled me and brought me back.”
Moon, of Guntersville, Alabama, was an athlete his entire life, and prior to his COVID diagnosis, he said he had no known underlying health conditions.
“I was never sick, and never missed a day of work,” said Moon, who has spent more than 10 weeks in the hospital, including nearly six weeks on a ventilator. “I could not do anything but blink. I could not talk, did not raise my head up off the pillow. You got to understand, being a 300-pound former athlete… man, that was tough.”
Now he and his wife, Mel, have dedicated themselves to spreading the word about vaccination and said that their efforts have helped encourage some 250 people to get their shots.
‘Never dreamt…this would be our story’
What had first seemed to be a sinus infection in July, turned out to be much more severe than anyone could have imagined, said Moon’s wife, Mel.
“We never dreamt in a million years that this would be our story,” said Mel.
When his symptoms worsened, Justin was taken to the hospital, and within six days of hospitalization, he was put on a ventilator.
“At one point, the doctors told my aunt, my stepdaughter and my wife to prepare to get a call in the next 24 hours, to come up here, you know, say goodbye. It is going to happen, it’s just a matter of time,” said Moon.
When the vaccines became widely available, Moon said he was hesitant given the mixed messaging on vaccinations in political circles. Even though the company he works for, Waste Connections, encouraged workers to get vaccinated, he chose not to get the shot after avoiding the disease during the first wave of the pandemic.
“I was very unsure, so I stood still. And I was wrong,” Moon said.
‘COVID doesn’t care’
Across the state of Alabama, just 42% of residents have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus as of Wednesday, a reality that drove the state to a record-breaking surge over the summer. Although infection rates are beginning to abate, less than 2% of intensive care unit beds remain available across the state.
The vast majority of the patients who are currently hospitalized at the University of Alabama Birmingham have not been vaccinated, according to the hospital, Brent Patterson, and those who tend to fare better and avoid severe illness are vaccinated.
“COVID doesn’t care. If you are healthy, but unvaccinated, it is gonna take everyone,” Patterson said.
Just prior to his diagnosis, Moon grew concerned by the increasing number of infections in the state. After a colleague tested positive for the virus, Moon said he overcame his skepticism, and made the decision, along with his wife, Mel, to get vaccinated.
His decision, ultimately, came too late, when he tested positive for the virus just days prior to when he planned to get the shot.
“If I had not been unsure of the vaccine, it would have probably gone like a lot of other stories,” said Moon. “Headaches, short breath, laying on the couch.”
‘Do your homework’
In an effort to help people truly understand the realities of COVID-19, the Moon family decided to share their story in their community.
“We don’t want anyone to ever have to go through what we’ve gone through. And that’s the lesson we learned: don’t stand still, do your homework. Don’t listen to the wrong forces, talk to your physician, and your family,” Mel said. “There can’t be anything about being vaccinated that is as bad as this.”
So far, Moon’s wife, who is working to get the word out along with his employer, says his story has convinced at least 250 unvaccinated people within the community to get the shot.
Moon’s family have been collecting texts and emails from people, who have reached out to let them know that they have got vaccinated after hearing Justin’s story. As of this week, they said they have heard from at least 250 newly vaccinated people.
“They hear the entire story of what’s going on with me, and, if they were in doubt, or we’re just in the same situation that I was, they see me, and see that I very, very seldom got sick or had any issues… if we could affect Justin like this… it can be much, much worse,” Justin Moon said.
Moon still has a long road ahead of him, undergoing grueling rehabilitation, as he works to regain his strength and his sense of feeling in his dominant right arm, which is still completely numb. He is also learning how to stand up and walk again, and he still needs oxygen after walking a few feet.
“Not too many people get a second chance at life,” said Moon. “But it didn’t have to be like that. The story could have gone very different.”
(NEW YORK) — Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar will perform together for the first time when they headline the Pepsi Super Bowl 56 Halftime Show on Feb. 13, 2022 in the Los Angeles area.
These superstars have collectively earned 43 Grammys and have created 22 No. 1 Billboard albums.
For the second year in a row, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation is serving as the strategic entertainment advisor of the Super Bowl halftime show.
“On February 13, 2022, at the Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood, CA, in the new SoFi Stadium, Dr. Dre, a musical visionary from Compton, Snoop Dogg, an icon from Long Beach and Kendrick Lamar, a young musical pioneer in his own right, also from Compton, will take center field for a performance of a lifetime,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “They will be joined by the lyrical genius, Eminem and the timeless Queen, Mary J. Blige. This is the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show. This is history in the making.”
Dr. Dre added: “The opportunity to perform at the Super Bowl Halftime show, and to do it in my own backyard, will be one of the biggest thrills of my career. I’m grateful to Jay-Z, Roc Nation, the NFL, and Pepsi as well as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar for joining me in what will be an unforgettable cultural moment.”
Pepsi and the NFL are also supporting education in LA with the launch next fall of Regional School #1, a magnet high school in South Los Angeles. The high school is based on the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy, founded by Dre and producer Jimmy Iovine.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Texas 7, LA Angels 6
Baltimore 6, Boston 2
Houston 3, Tampa Bay 2
NY Yankees 6, Toronto 2
Detroit 10, Minnesota 7
Cleveland 6, Kansas City 1
NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis 4, Milwaukee 3
Chi Cubs 9, Pittsburgh 0
Atlanta 5, Philadelphia 3
NY Mets 12, Miami 3
LA Dodgers 8, San Diego 3
San Francisco 5, Arizona 4
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PRESEASON
Nashville 6, Tampa Bay 2
Boston 4, Philadelphia 2
Los Angeles 3, Vegas 1
Detroit 6, Buffalo 2
Colorado 6, Minnesota 4
San Jose 3, Anaheim 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Cincinnati 24 Jacksonville 21
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Connecticut 79, Chicago 68
Phoenix 117, Las Vegas 91
