Former Chiefs wide receivers plead guilty to fraud charges

Former Kansas City Chiefs wide receivers Tamarick Vanover and Joe Horn are just two of several former professional football players who have been accused of defrauding a special health plan set aside by the NFL for ex-players to receive help with ongoing medical needs. Earlier this week, they pleaded guilty to the charges.

Back in 2006, the National Football League developed the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Health Reimbursement Account Plan (or an HRA plan) in order to help provide further benefits to players through health care reimbursements when they were paid out of pocket. Players are required to turn in receipts to submit their hopeful reimbursements. It turns out that guys like Vanover were bilking the fund to pocket significant money.

Vanover, who is now 47 years old, helped to recruit three other former NFL players to take part in the scheme—which consisted of seeking reimbursement for expensive medical machines that were never really purchased—to the tune of nearly $160K.

Vanover originally was indicted back in December and his case was just now able to move forward in the system. Further details were not made public of Horn’s involvement.

According to a Sports Illustrated report, health insurance carrier Cigna had reasons to believe some claims were suspect, which led to an investigation:

"Prosecutors said the alleged fraud was halted when health insurer Cigna became suspicious of some of the claims, including ones for equipment used to treat horses, and notified authorities."

Vanover played for the Chiefs for a half-decade after being selected by them in the third round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Vanover was primarily a returner than receiver for the team and scored 8 touchdowns on returns in those five seasons in K.C.—both four apiece on punt returns and kick returns.

Horn is one of the bigger player personnel blunders made in the history of the Chiefs organization. After drafting him the year after Vanover was drafted, with the fifth round pick in 1996, Horn needed significant time to climb the depth chart in K.C. and earn any real targets (with 35 catches in his fourth season and only 53 catches for 879 yards in his first four years in the league).

After he left K.C., however, Horn became a household name in the NFL with four Pro Bowl seasons in the next five years—all with the New Orleans Saints. Horn would go on to play another 8 seasons outside of Kansas City and finished his career with nearly 9,000 receiving yards.

Other NFL players who were a part of the same indictment (and later pled guilty) include running back Correll Buckhalter, defensive end Antwan Odom, cornerback Carlos Rogers and more. You can see a complete list of those involved here.