HOUSTON — A former fullback for the Houston Texans is accused of stealing more than $100,000 from an NFL player trust fund by filing bogus medical claims and other expenses, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Friday.
Jamel Antwon Cook, 39, who played nine seasons in the NFL including two with the Texans, allegedly submitted false claims for benefits from the Gene Upshaw NFL Player Plan, a health-reimbursement account, according to a charging document filed by the District Attorney’s Office in conjunction with the Texas Department of Insurance’s Fraud Unit.
Prosecutors say between March 2016 and September 2017, Cook submitted 30 claims to the plan.
The majority of the claims were for compensation for insurance premiums, which Cook claimed to have paid for himself or his family, according to prosecutors.
The account is for reimbursing former players for certain medical expenses and out of pocket health-insurance premiums.
Cook is charged with securing the execution of documents by deception, a third-degree felony. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Cook played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2001 to 2005 before joining the Texans in 2006. He returned to the Bucs in 2008 before finishing his career in 2009.
