NEW YORK – Keyon Dooling (ex-Vice President of the National Basketball Players Association), is currently an assistant coach at the Utah JazzWednesday's arrest of, added to the criminal case in which 18 ex-players were accused of illegally taking millions by defrauding the league’s welfare and health benefit plan.
Dooling was indicted in a rewritten indictment. Federal officials first brought the case in October. At that time, federal officials claimed that about $2.5million had been collected by former NBA players from the benefit plan.
Dooling, who served as a union officer for eighteen years before becoming its first vice-president, was one of three people added to Wednesday's indictment. He was a part of seven different NBA teams for parts of 13 seasons.
The Jazz claimed that Dooling made it known to them of Wednesday's indictment, Wednesday morning. He was then placed on paid administrative leaves by the team.
The Jazz released a statement saying that it was a case involving his time at the National Basketball Players Association before he joined our organization. “… We will not comment further on the ongoing legal proceedings.
According to officials, Dooling had been arrested Wednesday in Utah.
The Jazz will play Game 6 in their Western Conference playoff series against the Dallas MavericksThursday at home
A doctor and a dentist were also indicted. Officials claimed that they were medical providers who assisted with the scheme.
Officials claimed that Dooling “allegedly participated in the scheme and recruited co-conspirators for the scheme.”
All three were charged with wire conspiracy and health care fraud, which authorities claim spanned at least 2017 through 2020.
In October, a prosecutor claimed that each defendant made false claims amounting to $65,000 to $420,000.
Wednesday's amended indictment said that Dooling took $350,000 from plan proceeds illegally. It claimed that $5 million was in fraudulent claims, but the proceeds were not distributed to claimants.
Dooling was previously the union's wellness counselor, overseeing its mental health department. In 2014, Dooling also wrote a book that discussed, among other topics, his struggle with stress as a result of being sexually abused in childhood.
Dooling declared that “Health is everything” in an interview following the publication of his book. It should be your number one priority. Health of all types, mind and body, must be your highest priority.
