Ex-NFL Player Sentenced to 16 Years for $200M Medicare Fraud
Former NFL player Rufus French was sentenced to over 16 years in prison for orchestrating a massive $200 million healthcare fraud scheme targeting Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs. French utilized overseas telemarketing centers to pressure elderly Americans and veterans into providing personal data for unnecessary orthotic braces. He then used sham telemedicine companies to generate fake doctors' orders, billing government programs through secretly owned supply firms. In addition to his prison term, French must pay over $110 million in restitution and forfeit approximately $17 million in assets.
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Former NFL Player Sentenced to 16 Years for $200M Medicare and VA Fraud
Joel Rufus French, a former NFL tight end and owner of multiple durable medical equipment companies, has been sentenced to over 16 years in prison for orchestrating a massive fraud scheme against Medicare and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The scheme, which cost taxpayers nearly $200 million, involved selling patient information and fake doctors’ orders for medically unnecessary orthotic braces. French collaborated with overseas telemarketing centers that pressured elderly Americans and veterans into sharing personal health data. He then utilized sham telemedicine companies to obtain signed orders from providers who never examined the patients. These documents were sold to marketers who submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare and CHAMPVA. To conceal his involvement, French used straw owners and false documents. Additionally, he laundered approximately $225,000 in cash to pay accomplices. Beyond his 196-month prison term, French must pay over $110 million in restitution and forfeit roughly $17 million in seized assets. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and kickback schemes, exploiting vulnerable populations for significant financial gain.
Army TimesFormer NFL Player Sentenced to 16 Years for $200M Medicare and VA Fraud
Joel Rufus French, a former NFL tight end and business owner, has been sentenced to over 16 years in prison for orchestrating a massive healthcare fraud scheme that cost Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs nearly $200 million. According to the Department of Justice, French utilized overseas telemarketing call centers to pressure elderly Americans and veterans into providing personal health information for unnecessary orthotic braces. He then employed sham telemedicine companies to obtain fake doctors’ orders without patient examinations. French concealed his ownership of durable medical equipment companies using straw owners and false documents to bill government programs illegally. In addition to the 196-month prison term, he was ordered to pay more than $110 million in restitution and forfeit approximately $17 million in assets. French was also convicted of money laundering, having moved cash to pay accomplices for beneficiary data. The scheme exploited vulnerable populations, including senior citizens and families of disabled veterans, through a complex network of bribes and fraudulent billing practices targeting federal healthcare systems.
Air Force TimesFormer NFL Player Sentenced to 16 Years for $200M Medicare and VA Fraud
Joel Rufus French, a former NFL tight end and business owner, has been sentenced to over 16 years in prison for orchestrating a massive fraud scheme that cost Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs nearly $200 million. According to the Department of Justice, French utilized overseas telemarketing call centers to pressure elderly Americans and veterans into providing personal health information for unnecessary orthotic braces. He then employed sham telemedicine companies to obtain fake doctors' orders without patient examinations and sold these documents to medical supply firms he secretly owned. To conceal his involvement, French used straw owners and false documentation. The scheme specifically targeted vulnerable populations, including disabled veterans and their families through the CHAMPVA program. In addition to the 196-month prison term, French was ordered to pay more than $110 million in restitution and forfeit approximately $17 million in seized assets. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud, money laundering, and kickback schemes. French, who played for the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, also laundered cash to pay accomplices for beneficiary data.
Military TimesFormer NFL Player Sentenced to 16 Years for $200M Medicare and VA Fraud
Joel Rufus French, a former NFL tight end and business owner, has been sentenced to over 16 years in prison for orchestrating a massive fraud scheme that cost Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs nearly $200 million. According to the Department of Justice, French utilized overseas telemarketing call centers to pressure elderly Americans and disabled veterans into providing personal health information for unnecessary orthotic braces. He then paid sham telemedicine companies to generate fake doctors’ orders without patient examinations. French concealed his ownership of eight durable medical equipment companies using straw owners and false documents to bill government healthcare programs illegally. In addition to the 196-month prison term, he was ordered to pay more than $110 million in restitution and forfeit approximately $17 million in seized assets. French was also convicted of money laundering, having moved cash to pay accomplices for beneficiary data. The scheme exploited vulnerable populations, including senior citizens and families of deceased veterans, through a complex network of bribes and fraudulent billing practices targeting federal health insurance programs.
Navy TimesFormer NFL Player Sentenced to 16 Years for $200M Medicare and VA Fraud
Joel Rufus French, a former NFL tight end and business owner, has been sentenced to over 16 years in prison for orchestrating a massive fraud scheme that cost Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs nearly $200 million. French utilized overseas telemarketing call centers to pressure elderly Americans and disabled veterans into providing personal health information for unnecessary orthotic braces. He then paid sham telemedicine companies to generate fake doctors' orders without patient examinations. These fraudulent documents were sold to medical supply companies he secretly owned through straw owners, allowing him to bill government healthcare programs illegally. In addition to his prison term, French must pay over $110 million in restitution and forfeit approximately $17 million in assets. He was also convicted of money laundering after using cash proceeds to pay accomplices. The Department of Justice highlighted how the scheme exploited vulnerable populations, including senior citizens and families of deceased veterans, by flooding the market with unneeded medical devices while stealing taxpayer funds.
Marine Corps TimesEx-NFL Player Rufus French Sentenced to 16 Years for $200M Medicare Fraud
Rufus French, a former NFL tight end who played college football at Ole Miss, has been sentenced to over 16 years in prison for orchestrating a massive healthcare fraud scheme. The Department of Justice reported that French defrauded government agencies, including Medicare and CHAMPVA, of nearly $200 million. The scheme involved collaborating with overseas telemarketing call centers to pressure elderly Americans and disabled veterans into providing personal health information for medically unnecessary orthotic braces. French paid kickbacks to sham telemedicine companies to obtain fraudulent doctors’ orders from practitioners who never examined the patients. He then sold these orders to medical supply companies he secretly owned using straw owners and false documents. In addition to the prison term, French was ordered to pay $111 million in restitution and forfeit approximately $17 million in seized assets. He was previously convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and kickback violations. This case highlights a significant effort by federal authorities to combat corruption targeting senior citizens and veterans through illegal billing practices.
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