Ex-NFL player Rufus French has been sentenced to more than 16 years behind bars over his role in a healthcare fraud worth nearly $200million.
The 47-year-old tight end – who spent time with the Seahawks and Packers – ‘orchestrated a brazen, yearslong scheme that preyed on elderly patients and the families of disabled and deceased veterans,’ the government said.
He stole millions from Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) by ‘selling patient information and sham doctors’ orders for orthotic braces that patients did not want or need.’
French – who played college football for Ole Miss – was found guilty of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to offer, pay, solicit, and receive kickbacks.
He must also pay nearly $111m in restitution and forfeit around $17m that the government ‘seized from bank accounts and other assets.’
‘Fueled by lies, bribes, and overseas telemarketers, this corrupt scheme preyed on senior citizens and disabled veterans to flood the country with unnecessary medical devices – and then billed the taxpayer for it,’ said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division.
Ex-NFL player Rufus French has been sentenced to more than 16 years behind bars over his role in healthcare fraud worth nearly $200million
‘Today’s sentence makes clear that if you target America’s elderly, sick, or vulnerable – and rob America’s purse doing so – you will be targeted and brought to justice.’
French was convicted of ‘hiding behind overseas call centers, sham telemedicine companies, and straw‑owned DME suppliers’ to exploit ‘some of the most vulnerable people these programs were created to protect.’
A court heard how the 47-year-old worked with foreign-based call centers that put pressure on ‘elderly Americans to provide their personal and health insurance information and agree to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces.’
In certain cases, the Justice Department said, ‘the call centers altered call recordings to make it seem like Medicare patients agreed to the braces when they did not.’
It is said that French paid these ‘sham’ companies ‘kickbacks’ in order to secure ‘signed doctors’ orders from doctors and nurse practitioners who never examined, and often never even spoke to, the patients.’
He then sold these orders to ‘marketers and medical supply companies’ who would submit claims to Medicare.
According to the Justice Department, French also defrauded Medicare and CHAMPVA – through a web of deceit that included false documents – and laundered around $225,000 in cash from a bank in Mississippi.
The tight end, a unanimous All-American while at Ole Miss, went undrafted in 1999 before joining the Seattle Seahawks. He later spent time with the Green Bay Packers in 2002.
