Ex-Texans players among former NFL athletes indicted in health care fraud scheme

Two former Texans are among several athletes who have been indicted in a health care fraud scheme linked to the NFL player trust fund, authorities said Monday.

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The eight charged athletes are Corey Bradford, 44; James Adkisson, 40; Jonathan Hadnot Jr., 38; Clint Ingram, 37; Shantee Orr, 39; Chadwick Slaughter, 42; Derrick Pope, 38; and Fabian Washington, 37, officials said.

Orr and Bradford previously played for the Texans.

Officials said the athletes submitted false claims for medical benefits through the NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan Trust, according to a joint Texas Department of Insurance investigation with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

The athletes, who were indicted on Friday, are accused of submitting  the false therapy claims through athletic trainer Louis Ray, 59, who authorities said owns a Galleria-area rehabilitation facility known as  Rehab Express.

Ray is accused of claiming to treat the athletes from March 2016 to November 2018. He was indicted with securing the execution of a document by deception and he surrendered Monday to authorities.

Investigators said they believe Ray may have handled 92 claims that totaled more than $723,000 and that he pocketed nearly $113,000.

Court records show warrants have been issued for the athletes.

Another former Texans player, Jameel Antwon Cook, was previously convicted in 2019 for a similar scheme also involving the player trust. In that case, Cook received 10 years probation. Ten more former athletes were last year indicted in what federal authorities out of Kentucky described as a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme involving the benefit program.

The trust was established as part of a collective bargaining agreement in 2006.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

nicole.hensley@chron.com