Why is Glen Davis facing 3.5-year prison term? Former Celtics champion's role in NBA fraud under scrutiny
Former NBA player Glen Davis was sentenced to 40 months in prison today. The 2008 NBA champion with the Boston Celtics was found guilty of several charges in November, including health care fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to make false statements and conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud.
The 38-year-old learned about his sentence today, according to Justin Bey of ESPN. Davis' sentence also includes three years of supervised release. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution.
In 2021, Larry Neumeister and Tim Reynolds revealed that 18 former NBA players were charged in a millionaire health care fraud scheme. By claiming fictitious medical and dental expenses, these players came together to defraud an insurance plan for NBA players and their families. In four years, they took more than $5 million from the league.
USA Today Sports adds that 'Big Baby' submitted 132,000 worth of claims, which included $27,200 worth of dental work at Beverly Hills in 2018.
This scandal was a big shock for the NBA, as nobody expected former players, some of whom had notable careers in the league, to come together to misuse funds that could have been allocated to players who actually needed it.
Glen Davis, Terrance Williams and more players sentenced to prison
The aftermath of this shocking investigation had over 20 people convicted for several charges. Besides Glen Davis, Terrance Williams, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in August 2023. Another former NBA baller, Will Bynum, received an 18-month prison sentence last month.
Keyon Dooling and Alan Anderson received sentences of 30 and 24 months in prison, respectively, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced in February.
This situation took everybody by surprise, but justice has been severe for all those involved in this case. Glen Davis became the face of the case since he was the most famous player of all and someone who still attended NBA games while the investigation developed.
In eight years in the NBA, Davis played for the Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, and the Los Angeles Clippers, winning the championship in 2008 with the C's. He also joined the BIG3 following his NBA retirement, but now it seems like he'll face different challenges in jail.