Two former Texans among eight ex-NFL players charged in ‘health insurance scam’

The players are accused of submitting false reimbursement claims for rehabilitation therapy by a Houston trainer, according to the Harris County DA.

HOUSTON — Eight former NFL players and a Houston athletic trainer have been indicted in a scheme to defraud an NFL player trust fund by submitting false claims for medical benefits, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Monday.

Two of them, Corey Bradford and Shantee Orr, were Houston Texans and Jonathan Hadnot, Jr played college football at the University of Houston.

The claims were for rehabilitation by a trainer named Louis Ray, the owner of Rehab Express in the Galleria area.

Ray, 59, was indicted for the first-degree felony of Securing the Execution of a Document by Deception, for allegedly taking checks valued at more than $300,000. He surrendered Monday.

Prosecutors say Ray created fraudulent invoices claiming he performed treatments on players from March 7, 2016 to November 2018. The players would then sign and submit forms to be reimbursed by the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Plan, a health-reimbursement account. The players are accused of pocketing the reimbursement money and paying Ray for signing and verifying the fake invoices.

Medical records show that 92 claims were submitted claiming reimbursements totaling $723,826 with Ray allegedly receiving payments totaling $112,972.

“Health insurance scams are insidious because that kind of fraud leads to higher premiums for everyone else,” prosecutor Rick Watson said. “Not only does it increase the rates, but it costs a lot of taxpayer money to investigate these.”

Corey Bradford: indicted for the second-degree felony of Securing the Execution of a Document by Deception, for allegedly taking checks valued at more than $150,000 and less than $300,000. Bradford 44,  was a wide receiver with the Houston Texans from 2002-2005.Shantee Orr: indicted for the third-degree felony of Securing the Execution of a Document by Deception for allegedly taking checks valued at more than $30,000 and less than $150,000. Orr was a linebacker for the Houston Texans from 2003-2007.Jonathan Rex Hadnot Jr: indicted for the third-degree felony of Securing the Execution of a Document by Deception for allegedly taking checks valued at more than $30,000 and less than $150,000.  The 38-year-old Lufkin native played college football at the University of Houston before being drafted by the Miami Dolphins.Clint Ingram: indicted for the third-degree felony of Securing the Execution of a Document by Deception for taking allegedly checks valued at more than $30,000 and less than $150,000. The 37-year-old player Hallsville, Texas native played linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints.Chadwick Slaughter: indicted for the third-degree felony of Securing the Execution of a Document by Deception for allegedly taking checks valued at more than $30,000 and less than $150,000. The 42-year-old Dallas native played offensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders.James Adkisson: indicted for the third-degree felony of Securing the Execution of a Document by Deception for allegedly taking checks valued at more than $30,000 and less than $150,000; The 40-year-old tight end played in two games for the LA Raiders in 2006 before being cut.Fabian Washington: indicted for the third-degree felony of Securing the Execution of a Document by Deception for allegedly taking checks valued at more than $30,000 and less than $150,000. The 37-year-old played cornerback for the Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Ravens. Derrick Pope: indicted for the state-jail felony of Securing the Execution of a Document by Deception for allegedly taking checks worth more than $2,500 and less than $30,000. The 38-year-old Galveston native was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 2004.

“This fund was created to help former players get medical services, and cheating the system means they were stealing from other players and former teammates,” Ogg said. “Investigating and seeking justice for white-collar criminals takes time, effort and cooperation among agencies, and we want to thank them for uncovering this scheme.”