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SPORTS Friday 13 december 2019

In this Nov. 10, 2019, file photo, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow (9)
is carried by LSU nose tackle Tyler Shelvin (72) after an NCAA
football game against Alabama, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Associated Press
AP Player of the

Year: QB Joe Burrow, Assistant Attorney General Brian Benczkowski, center, in charge of the criminal division at

first winner from LSU the Dept. of Justice, U.S. Attorney Robert Duncan, of the Eastern District of Kentucky, left, and
FBI Special Agent George Piro, right, in charge of the FBI’s Miami office, appears at a news
conference to announce charges against ten former National Football League (NFL) players
By RALPH D. RUSSO Fields and Oklahoma who are accused of defrauding an NFL health care program, at the Justice Department in
AP College Football Writer quarterback Jalen Hurts, Washington, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019.
What figures to be an who finished fourth with 33 Associated Press
award-winning week for points, are the finalists for 10 ex-NFL players charged with
LSU quarterback Joe Bur- the Heisman Trophy to be
row is underway. handed out Saturday in defrauding healthcare program
Burrow was named The New York.
Associated Press college Burrow is the overwhelm-
football player of the year ing Heisman favorite af- By MICHAEL BALSAMO that were not covered by health care providers
on Thursday in a landslide ter passing for 4,715 yards Associated Press insurance and that were about using the medical
vote, making him the first and a Southeastern Con- WASHINGTON (AP) — Ten incurred by former play- equipment, fabricating
LSU player to win the the ference record 48 touch- former NFL players were ers, their spouses and de- prescriptions that were
21-year-old award. downs. The senior transfer charged in a multimillion- pendents. purportedly signed by
Burrow, who has led the from Ohio State is on pace dollar scheme to defraud “As outlined in the indict- healthcare providers and
top-ranked Tigers to an un- to set a major college re- the league’s health care ments, a group of former creating fake invoices
beaten season and their cord, completing 77.9% of benefit program by sub- players brazenly defraud- from medical equipment
first College Football Play- his passes. mitting false claims for ed the plan by seeking companies in an effort
off appearance, received Burrow is up for two more medical equipment, in- reimbursements for ex- to prove the equipment
51 of 54 first-place votes awards Thursday night at cluding devices used on pensive medical equip- was purchased, accord-
from AP Top 25 poll voters the College Football Hall of horses, the Justice De- ment that they never pur- ing to court documents.
and a total of 159 points. Fame in Atlanta. He is a fi- partment said Thursday. chased,” said Assistant In reality, they had never
Ohio State defensive end nalist for the Davey O’Brien The players were charged Attorney General Brian purchased or received
Chase Young was sec- National Quarterback of in two separate indict- Benczkowski, who leads the medical equipment,
ond with three first-place the Year Award, along with ments filed in federal the Justice Department’s prosecutors said.
votes and 69 points while Fields and Hurts. He is also a court in Kentucky, accus- criminal division. Investigators believe the
Buckeyes quarterback finalist for the Maxwell Play- ing them of conspiracy, The players claimed to defendants had forged
Justin Fields was third with er of the Year, along with wire fraud and health- have purchased hyper- the prescriptions and au-
43 points. Burrow, Young, Young and Hurts.q care fraud. Prosecutors baric oxygen chambers, thorization letters and
allege they submitted ultrasound machines and uncovered no evidence
Christian Pulisic U.S. nearly $4 million in phony electromagnetic ther- that any doctors were
claims, leading to pay-
apy devices that were complicit in the scheme,
Soccer male player outs of about $3.4 million designed to be used on Benczkowski said.
between June 2017 and horses, he said.
After the phony claims
of year for 2nd time December 2018. Prosecutors say the were submitted, the for-
Those charged include group’s alleged ringlead- mer players would re-
CHICAGO (AP) — Christian Pulisic was voted the U.S. Soc- five former players on the ers, Robert McCune and ceive reimbursement
cer Federation male player of the year, at 21 becoming Washington Redskins, in- Cornell Buckhalter — who checks and pay a kick-
the youngest to earn the honor for the second time. cluding Clinton Portis and they allege broke off to back to the ringleaders
Pulisic had five goals and three assists for the U.S. this year. Carlos Rogers. create his own similar and recruiters, the indict-
The midfielder and occasional forward received 38% of Prosecutors allege the ring — would recruit for- ments charge.
votes in totals announced Thursday, followed by forward players targeted the mer players by offering Prosecutors moved to
Jordan Morris (35%) and Weston McKennie (13%). Gene Upshaw NFL Player to submit fake claims to bring charges, in part be-
He also plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, a transfer Health Reimbursement the health care plan. The cause the scheme put
secured this year. Voters include national team coaches, Account Plan, which was ringleaders would then the health care plan’s
players with national team appearances in 2018, the USSF established as part of demand thousands of tax-exempt status at risk,
board of directors and athlete council members, coach- a collective bargaining dollars in kickbacks for which could’ve forced
es in Major League Soccer, the United Soccer League, agreement in 2006. It pro- each fake claim, prose- other former players us-
National Women’s Soccer League, men’s and women’s vides tax-free reimburse- cutors allege. ing the plan legitimately
national team coaches, select media and former players ment of out-of-pocket The suspects are accused to pay more, Benczkowski
and administrators.q medical care expenses of fabricating letters from said.q