Joel Rufus French, a former college football star for Ole Miss, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison. He was convicted of federal fraud after running a $197 Medicare scheme, targeting the elderly and disabled veterans.
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Following his sentencing, the U.S. Department of Justice released a statement.
"In addition to the prison sentence, the defendant, Joel Rufus French, 47, of Armory, Mississippi, was ordered to pay $110,753,619 in restitution and to forfeit approximately $17 million that the government seized from bank accounts and other assets," the statement noted.
French reportedly took part in a " years-long scheme to defraud Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, per PEOPLE. He did this by selling patients' information, along with other activities.
Outside of his Medicare scheme, French also laundered approximately $225,000 from a bank in Mississippi. He allegedly used $100,000 of that cash to pay his accomplices.
French spent three years at Ole Miss from 1996 to 1998, where he played tight end. He suited up for 32 games, making 84 receptions for 814 yards. French registered four touchdowns during his collegiate career. He was then signed to the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent. After two seasons with the franchise, French signed with the Green Bay Packers practice squad.
Despite being in the league for multiple years, French never made his NFL debut.
The Assistant Attorney General Has Issued a Statement on Joel Rufus French's Case
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division also provided a statement regarding French's case.
"Fueled by lies, bribes, and overseas telemarketers, this corrupt scheme preyed on senior citizens and disabled veterans to flood the country with unnecessary medical devices — and then billed the taxpayer for it," McDonald said. "Today's sentence makes clear that if you target America's elderly, sick, or vulnerable — and rob America's purse doing so — you will be targeted and brought to justice."
The Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, Scott J. Lampert, of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS?'OIG) also provided a statement.
"The defendant orchestrated a brazen, yearslong scheme that preyed on elderly patients and the families of disabled and deceased veterans to steal millions from Medicare and CHAMPVA," Lampert said. "By hiding behind overseas call centers, sham telemedicine companies, and straw?'owned DME suppliers, he exploited some of the most vulnerable people these programs were created to protect. This lengthy sentence underscores the seriousness of his crimes."
No further details regarding French's case have been released.
