Former Detroit Pistons guard Will Bynum was handed an 18-month prison sentence for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme that targeted the NBA's insurance plan. Bynum, age 41, from Bensenville, Illinois, faced the verdict in Manhattan federal court after being convicted in November, as reported by CBS News Detroit. Conspiring alongside other former NBA players, including Terrence Williams and Keyon Dooling, Bynum falsified claims totaling around $200,000 for medical services never rendered.
As part of the scam, according to the Southern District of New York, Terrence Williams provided Bynum with phony invoices in late 2018 for services from a Los Angeles-area chiropractor. In reality, no such services occurred. As part of the conspiracy, Bynum submitted these fraudulent invoices to the NBA Players' Health and Welfare Benefit Plan, deceitfully pocketing the majority of the reimbursed money.
Bynum's conviction comes with additional financial penalties—he's been ordered to forfeit and pay restitution for $182,224.09, exactly the damage he dealt to the NBA Players' Health and Welfare Benefit Plan. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, after Bynum's sentencing, said "His sentence stands as a stark warning that prison time awaits any who seek to defraud and obstruct justice," as per CBS News Detroit.
During his trial, the conviction of Bynum was not purely for fraud. He also faced charges of perjury and obstruction of justice when he took the stand in his defense, further entangling himself in his deceitful web. His co-defendant, Ronald Glen Davis, awaits sentencing scheduled on May 9, with the prosecution lauding the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the case's thorough investigation.
Both Terrence Williams and Keyon Dooling, having pled guilty earlier in the proceedings, have already been sentenced to 10 years and 30 months in prison, respectively. This sprawling case has seen more than 20 individuals convicted, shedding light on the vulnerabilities of healthcare benefit systems to nefarious exploitation by even those who once played at the pinnacle of professional basketball.
