Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis sentenced to 40 months in prison over fraud scheme

NEW YORK — Former NBA ahead Glen “Large Child” Davis was sentenced by a federal decide Thursday to 40 months in jail, plus three years’ supervised launch, for his November 2023 conviction in an alleged scheme to defraud the league’s well being care advantages plan.

Twenty-two individuals — 18 of them former gamers, together with Terrence Williams and Keyon Dooling — have been sentenced within the case for submitting false medical claims with the NBA Gamers’ Well being and Profit Welfare Plan.

Davis, 38, who has maintained his innocence since indictments within the case have been handed down in October 2021, was discovered responsible of a number of fraud fees and conspiring to make false statements. He was ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution. The situations of his supervised launch embody attending a monetary administration class and receiving obligatory drug therapy.

Williams, the supposed ringleader of what the Southern District of New York U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace has described as a “wide-ranging scheme to steal hundreds of thousands of {dollars},” was sentenced to 10 years final August.

However apart from Williams, no former NBA participant has acquired extra jail time than Davis. Final month, former NBA guard Will Bynum, who was convicted alongside Davis in November, was sentenced to 18 months, partly for mendacity to a jury whereas beneath oath.

Davis’ protection lawyer, Sabrina Shroff, declined remark. The press workplace of the Southern District of New York additionally declined remark.

In court docket, assistant U.S. lawyer Ryan Finkel characterised Davis as having allegedly executed a “refined and clever effort” to masks his misdeeds.

A raft of pre-sentencing paperwork submitted to the court docket on Davis’ behalf included letters of testimony from household, former coaches and a number of officers with the NBA gamers’ union: NBPA common counsel Ron Klempner and government director Andre Iguodala.

“On behalf of all of our NBPA members previous and current, I respectfully ask that you simply take into account Glen’s accomplishments and the optimistic impression he has had on these round him when figuring out his sentence,” Iguodala wrote in his letter. “I acknowledge the seriousness of this authorized matter and admire the thoroughness of the judicial course of and ask for leniency with these elements in thoughts.”

However apart from two journalists and a half dozen attendees affiliated with the prosecution, no different members of the general public attended the sentencing.

“It pains me that there is no such thing as a one right here for Mr. Davis,” Shroff advised the court docket whereas combating by means of tears. She acknowledged her consumer’s “poor selections” however argued for a time-served sentence with necessities for group service, psychological well being remedy and therapy for a hashish habit.

Davis, who helped the Boston Celtics win the 2008 championship and retired from the NBA after his ultimate season in 2014-15, grew more and more animated all through the listening to, shaking his head, burying his face in his arms and sighing deeply in disbelief.

“After I misplaced basketball, I misplaced myself,” he pleaded to Choose Valerie E. Caproni earlier than the sentence was handed down. “I ask you, your honor, to assist me get again to who I’m.”