Former Celtic Terrence Williams sentenced to 10 years in jail

Celtics

Williams organized a scheme to defraud the NBA out of hundreds of thousands of {dollars}.

Terrence Williams performed for the Celtics in 2013. Michael Dwyer/AP Photograph

Former Celtics guard Terrence Williams was sentenced to 10 years in jail on Thursday for his position in stealing $5 million from the NBA.

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Williams organized a scheme that defrauded the NBA’s well being care plan. He and a number of other different NBA gamers made false claims for medical and dental bills from 2017-2021, and he made at the least $300,000 in kickbacks from his co-conspirators. 

Seventeen different gamers confronted fees for his or her roles on this scheme, together with former Celtics Tony Allen, Sebastian Telfair and Glen Davis. However Williams was the mastermind behind all of it and induced essentially the most injury.

“Your habits, of all of the defendants on this case,” Choose Valerie E. Caproni informed Williams earlier than sentencing him, “Was essentially the most severe by a considerable measure.”

The Nets took Williams eleventh general within the 2009 NBA Draft, forward of all-stars Jrue Vacation and Jeff Teague. He signed a 10-day contract with the Celtics in 2013, which finally was a multi-year deal. Williams performed 24 complete video games for Boston and averaged 4.6 factors per recreation earlier than the Celtics waived him that offseason. That day could be his final within the NBA, as he would spend just a few extra years abroad.

Williams pleaded responsible to conspiring to commit well being care fraud and identification theft in Aug. 2022. He has been in jail since Might 2022 after threatening a witness by texting him to “shut the f— up.”

“Williams not solely lined his pockets by fraud and deceit, however he additionally stole the identities of others and threatened a witness to additional his prison endeavors,” stated U.S. Lawyer Damian Williams. “For his brazen prison acts, Williams now faces years in jail.”

He partially attributed his misdeeds to his tumultuous upbringing, in addition to an dependancy he acquired whereas rehabbing from harm. However he additionally acknowledged that his private vices clouded his higher judgment.

“Numerous my unhealthy decisions on this case have been brought on by my opioid dependancy, that I used to be feeding for years,” Williams informed the decide earlier than he was sentenced. “The opposite half was stupidity and greed.” 

Regardless, Williams knew that he had nobody in charge for his actions however himself.

“I a million p.c take full accountability for my position on this case,” he stated.

As a part of a plea deal, Williams will to pay $2.5 million in restitution, in addition to forfeit $650,000.