Will Bynum, who played for the Detroit Pistons for six seasons, from 2008 to 2014, was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in federal prison for his conviction in a scheme to defraud an NBA health insurance program.
Bynum, 41, of Bensenville, Illinois, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court and ordered to pay $182,000 in restitution.
Federal prosecutors alleged in court documents that Bynum was among a number of defendants, many of them former NBA players, who submitted false dental and medical claims to the NBA Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan from 2017 to 2020.
Court documents show that the fraudulent claims totaled about $3.9 million, with about $2.5 million going to people who were part of the scheme. More than 20 people have been convicted in the case.
Authorities say former NBA player Terrence Williams orchestrated the scheme and recruited others to submit false claims. He was sentenced last year to 10 years in prison.
The health plan is for former and current NBA players.