The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged 10 former National Football League (NFL) players for allegedly claiming at least $3.9 million from a healthcare benefit program for expensive medical equipment -- including ultrasound scanners -- that was never purchased.
Following an investigation into the affair led by the FBI, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky filed two indictments against separate groups of ex-players for conspiracies related to the same scheme, according to the DOJ Office of Public Affairs.
The alleged fraud consisted of claiming tax-free reimbursements (of up to $350,000 per player) from the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan for out-of-pocket medical care expenses incurred by former NFL players and their family members. Collectively, the ex-players claimed roughly $3.9 million for ultrasound scanners, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, cryotherapy machines, and electromagnetic therapy devices that they never purchased.
Per the indictments, the defendants offered to submit these claims for other players in exchange for kickbacks and bribes as high as $10,000 per claim. The scheme involved fabrication of supporting documentation for the claims as well as impersonating other players.
![Examples of ultrasound findings and techniques. (A) Images in a 39-year-old male patient with a mass in the left thigh. The mass is heterogeneous on the B-mode US image (compared with the patient in D) and showed increased microvascularity (superb microvascular imaging [SMI]) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) values. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy (with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in surgical specimen). (B) Images in an 18-year-old male patient with a mass in the left leg. The mass is hypoechoic on the B-mode image, with no other findings suggestive of malignancy. The lesion is in contact with the cortex of the tibia, which is slightly irregular. CT revealed a doubtful anteromedial tibial erosion. The microvascular study demonstrated high vascularization, suggestive of malignancy. Periosteal Ewing sarcoma was diagnosed with both histologic and immunohistochemical confirmation. (C) Images in a 69-year-old female patient with a lump growing on the outside of the left leg. Multiple SWE examinations were performed (please note the high values obtained in the measurements, whereas the color map highlights the stiffness relative to adjacent tissues). SMI showed areas of increased vascularization to target for sampling. Undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with residual leiomyosarcoma in the surgical specimen after neoadjuvant therapy. (D) Images in a 56-year-old female patient with a mass in the right thigh. The mass is heterogeneous at both B-mode ultrasound (similar to patient A) and MRI (coronal T2-weighted spectral attenuated inversion recovery [SPAIR]; T1-weighted pre-contrast and postcontrast imaging), which even shows uptake after the administration of paramagnetic contrast material, which is traditionally suggestive of malignancy. Low values at SMI and elastography are suggestive of benignity. Spindle cell lipoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with atypical spindle cell lipomatous tumor in the surgical specimen.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/images-radiol250278fig2.APCFLSvX6p.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
