Ex-Celtics Star Glen Davis Bags 40 Months Jail in $5M NBA Insurance Fraud

In the bustling heart of New York, a high-profile courtroom drama unfolded on Thursday as Glen “Big Baby” Davis, a former star player for the Boston Celtics, was handed a sentence of 40 months in federal prison. The serious crime? Conspiracy and defrauding an insurance plan designed specifically for NBA players and their kin to the astonishing tune of over $5 million.

This deeply rooted conspiracy goes beyond Davis. Indeed, a staggering number of over 20 individuals have been held to account in this troubling case, a majority of them retired players from the prestigious National Basketball Association. What was their scheme, you ask? Crafting and submitting blatantly false dental and healthcare claims to the NBA Players’ Health and Benefit Welfare Plan.

The jury verdict was delivered in November, and it certainly didn’t look good for Davis or his co-accused, former Detroit Pistons point guard, Will Bynum. Both gentlemen were found guilty, their once stellar reputations besmirched by the weight of their fraudulent actions.

As Davis prepares for his stint behind bars, the court has also handed down additional penance. On the other side of his 40 month sentence, he’ll be on the tightrope of three years of supervised release. Additionally, the court has issued an order for Davis to cough up a hefty $80,000 in restitution.

As for Bynum, the gavel fell on his sentence last month. Eighteen months in prison and three years on supervised release was his fate. He too must open his wallet and dig deep, with a restitution amount of $182,224 standing between him and fully paying his debt to society.

From their elite status as top-tier NBA personnel, Davis and Bynum have fallen into the murky depths of fraudulent scheming, involving unscrupulous medical professionals in their conspiratorial web. It’s been discovered that these doctors and dentists were partners in crime, cooking up counterfeit invoices for reimbursement from the insurance plan.

The full list of charges faced by Davis: health care fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to both make false statements and commit health care and wire fraud. This veritable laundry list of infractions represents a startling about-face for the man who was once the Southeastern Conference player of the year, propelling LSU to the 2006 NCAA championship game. He served with distinction across three NBA teams over the span of eight seasons and was an instrumental member of the Celtics’ 2008 championship team, wiping the glossy sheen off a previously illustrious professional sports career.