Washington Former RB Star Clinton Portis Sentenced to Prison for $4M Health-Care Fraud Scheme

Former Washington Football Team running back Clinton Portis was sentenced Thursday to six months in prison and six months of home detention as part of a $4 million nation-wide health care fraud scheme involving 10 retired NFL players.

The sentence was handed down in the district court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

Portis, who played seven seasons with the WFT, was charged with health care fraud related to claims regarding medical expenses and purchases following his retirement.

Part of his sentence includes paying back the NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan.

According to court documents, from December of 2017 to December of 2018, Portis applied for reimbursement for costly medical equipment while also falsifying prescriptions, medical letters and invoices. Portis admitted that he was reimbursed for some equipment for which he did not have a medical need.

Portis pleaded guilty to defrauding the NFL health care plan in September in an effort to avoid jail time. The opted to split the difference between Portis' request and the prosecution's request for 10 to 16 months in prison.

According to the Department of Justice, those indicted along with Portis include Ceandris Brown, James Butler, Fredrick Bennett, Correll Buckhalter, Etric Pruitt, John Eubanks, Tamarick Vanover, Carlos Rogers and Robert McCune.

Eubanks, McCune and Rogers played for WFT as well during the 2000s. 

Portis was chosen by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft and was named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year for that season. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2003 with the Broncos but was traded to Washington in the offseason. Portis spent the next seven seasons with the Washington Football Team, returning to the Pro Bowl in 2008. He rushed for 9,923 yards and 75 touchdowns and added 2,018 receiving yards and five touchdowns in his career.