5 NFL players accused of tax fraud ft. Lawrence Taylor and Freddie Mitchell

Most NFL players make tons of money during their professional football careers. In addition to the massive contracts they sign with their teams, they make additional income from various other outlets, including endorsements and paid appearances. Financially-savvy NFL players will also invest a large portion of their salaries in multiplying their income and helping their value grow exponentially.

Making a ton of money also means paying a ton of taxes. While most do so without issue, it has also led some NFL players to make alleged errors in tax documents or attempts to cheat the system by falsifying their financial claims and reported income. This has resulted in several players running into legal trouble due to tax fraud. Here are five examples.

#1 - William James

William James, formerly known as William Peterson, spent ten seasons in the NFL as a cornerback, mainly with the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. He defended 50 passes in his career while recording eight interceptions and returning one of them for a touchdown.

James failed to file a tax return between the 2005 and 2009 NFL seasons when he made $9.2 million. He was sentenced to seven months in prison and forced to pay $470,000 in back taxes and penalties.

#2 - Freddie Mitchell

Freddie Mitchell spent his entire NFL career as a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a key member of their 2004 wide receiver group that helped the Eagles win the NFC title and make an appearance in the Super Bowl.

Former #Eagles wide receiver Freddie Mitchell sentenced to 3 years in federal prison #FlyEaglesFly http://t.co/OZL8PPLtF6

Mitchell was charged with conspiracy to commit tax fraud after assisting someone else in falsifying a tax claim. His role in the scheme has resulted in a prison sentence of 37 months.