NEW YORK — Will Bynum, who played for the Detroit Pistons for six seasons, was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in prison for his conviction in an NBA insurance fraud scandal.
Bynum, 41, of Bensenville, Illinois, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court, where a jury convicted him in November of conspiring to make false statements regarding NBA players who submitted false dental and medical claims to the National Health and Benefits Plan. NBA players. .
More than 20 people were convicted in the case, many of them former NBA players.
Bynum, who averaged 8.1 points and 3.3 assists in 360 games during his career, was also ordered to forfeit $182,000 and pay restitution of $182,000 when he was sentenced by Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
According to court documents, Bynum joined several other former NBA players, including Terrence Williams and Keyon Dooling, from 2018 to 2019 in a scheme to defraud the plan. Williams and Dooling, who pleaded guilty to the charges, have already been sentenced to 10 years and 30 months in prison, respectively.
Authorities said Bynum received false invoices from another former NBA player that allegedly showed $200,000 in medical services Bynum received at a Los Angeles-area chiropractor, although the services never occurred.
At the trial, Bynum testified. Prosecutors said he committed perjury and obstructed justice.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Bynum “lied to the jury while under oath. His sentence constitutes a stark warning that prison time awaits anyone who seeks to defraud and obstruct justice.”
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