By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Video
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 13 – Former NBA players Sebastian Telfair, Terrance Williams, Anthony Allen and 15 others former players were named in an indictment unsealed on October 7, 2021 for defrauding the NBA health fund, in Telfair's case, for $350,000.
Telfair nevertheless got a publicly funded lawyer. Inner City Press was there, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrates Court and live tweeted it here and below(street video here)
On August 26, 2022 lead defendant Williams pleaded guilty, to a plea agreement that he will not (and now cannot) appeal any sentence 145 months or less. Plea agreement on Inner City Press' DocumentCloud here.
On November 29, co-defendant Anthony Allen filed a request to unseal documents the US Attorney's Office has labeled "confidential," which Allen's counsel describe as containing "statements made by counsel for the NBA Plan... explaining that the money allegedly stolen belonged to the players themselves."
Judge Caproni has ordered that "[t]he Government must file its response to Defendant's unsealing request in a letter not to exceed two single-spaced pages."
When the US Attorney's Office filed, it said it "does not oppose unsealing portions of the letters marked as Exhibits A and B... filed under seal."
Jump cut to January 13, 2023. Anderson had missed a December court appearance, and sent letters to Judge Caproni asserting he is no subject to her or US authority. He was arrested on a warrant, and arrested in Westchester County Detention Center via Grady, Oklahoma. His lawyer argued at length for him to be released, but his letters were cited by Judge Caproni to keep him in detention. Will the sentencing have to be pushed back? Watch this site.
The case is against 18 former NBA players "for defrauding the NBA’s Health and Welfare Benefit Plan out of approximately $4,000,000." It was been assigned to SDNY District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
Telfair walking away from photographers after court, photo by Matthew Russell Lee 10/7/21
The line up: Indictment charging TERRENCE WILLIAMS, ALAN ANDERSON, ANTHONY ALLEN, DESIREE ALLEN, SHANNON BROWN, WILLIAM BYNUM, RONALD GLEN DAVIS, CHRISTOPHER DOUGLAS-ROBERTS, a/k/a “Supreme Bey,” MELVIN ELY, JAMARIO MOON, DARIUS MILES, MILTON PALACIO, RUBEN PATTERSON, EDDIE ROBINSON, GREGORY SMITH, SEBASTIAN TELFAIR, CHARLES WATSON JR., ANTOINE WRIGHT, and ANTHONY WROTEN with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud the National Basketball Associations (“NBA’s”) Health and Welfare Benefit Plan out of nearly $4,000,000. TERRENCE WILLIAMS is also charged with aggravated identity theft in connection with the same scheme. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
The positions: WILLIAMS and WROTEN will be presented in the Western District of Washington. DAVIS will be presented in the Central District of California. SMITH will be presented in the Eastern District of California. PATTERSON will presented in the Northern District of Ohio. MOON will be presented in the Northern District of Alabama. BYNUM and ELY will be presented in the Northern District of Illinois. MILES will be presented in the Middle District of Florida. ANDERSON, WATSON, and WRIGHT will be presented in the District of Nevada. BROWN will be presented in the Northern District of Georgia. DESIREE ALLEN will be presented in the Western District of Tennessee. TELFAIR will be presented in the Southern District of New York before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker.
The case is US v. Williams, et al., 21-cr-603 (Caproni)
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