Former NFL player Rufus French has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison after prosecutors accused him of helping run a massive healthcare fraud scheme that targeted elderly Americans and disabled veterans.
Federal officials say the 47-year-old former football player played a central role in a yearslong operation that fraudulently billed nearly $200 million to government healthcare programs.
French, who previously spent time with the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers, was convicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and illegal kickback schemes.
According to the Justice Department, French and others used overseas call centers and fake telemedicine companies to pressure elderly patients into accepting expensive medical braces they neither wanted nor medically needed.
Investigators said the operation specifically targeted vulnerable seniors and disabled military veterans enrolled in Medicare and CHAMPVA, a healthcare program connected to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Authorities accused French of making millions by selling patient information and fraudulent doctors’ orders for orthopedic braces.
Federal prosecutors said many of the patients were never properly examined by doctors — and in some cases never even spoke to medical providers at all.
Officials also alleged call centers manipulated audio recordings to falsely make it appear patients had agreed to receive the medical equipment.
The fraudulent paperwork was then reportedly sold to medical supply companies, which billed Medicare and other federal healthcare programs for reimbursement.
The Justice Department described the scheme as “brazen” and said it preyed on some of America’s most vulnerable citizens.
“Fueled by lies, bribes, and overseas telemarketers, this corrupt scheme preyed on senior citizens and disabled veterans,” Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald said after the sentencing.
French was ordered to pay nearly $111 million in restitution and forfeit roughly $17 million in assets already seized by the government.
Authorities also accused him of laundering money through false documents and illegal cash transactions, including allegedly moving around $225,000 in cash through a Mississippi bank.
Before his legal downfall, French had built an impressive football career.
He was a standout player at University of Mississippi, where he earned unanimous All-American honors while playing for the Ole Miss Rebels.
Although he went undrafted in 1999, he later joined the Seahawks before spending time with the Packers in 2002.
Now, instead of life in professional sports, the former NFL tight end faces more than a decade behind bars in federal prison.