A Chiropractor to the Stars Defrauded the NBA in a Multi-Million-Dollar Scheme — and More Than 20 Former Players Helped Him The years-long fraud started back in 2017.
By Amanda Breen
Key Takeaways
- Patrick Khaziran, 40, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his part in a multi-year fraud scheme.
- The scheme relied on the NBA players' health and welfare benefit plan, which remains available for former players.
Dr. Patrick Khaziran, a chiropractor to numerous celebrities including the Kardashians and Jamie Foxx, won't be providing services anytime soon.
The 40-year-old was sentenced to 30 months in prison earlier this year after pleading guilty to partaking in a years-long scheme to defraud the National Basketball Association (NBA) out of $5 million, The Los Angeles Times reported.
Related: I Emailed All 30 NBA Owners, Asking Them to Meet With Me. Here's What Happened.
Khaziran is the founder of California-based Sports Rehab LA, which has locations in Encino, Beverly Hills, and Studio City. He bills himself as a "Sports rehab doctor in LA who works with professional athletes and celebrities to help them recover and prevent injuries," per his Instagram bio.
The scheme, which began in 2017, relied on NBA players' health and welfare benefit plan: Funded by NBA teams, the plan reimburses current and former players for certain medical expenses not covered by regular insurance. Khaziran provided false documentation claiming players received treatment they had not and charged the fees to their health plan debit cards, per the L.A. Times.
Also involved are Keyon Dooling, then-assistant coach of the Jazz and former NBA player and union rep, and former player Terrence Williams, who was the 11th overall draft pick in 2009, according to the outlet. The scheme also expanded to include other health professionals.
Image Credit: Brad Barket/BET | Getty Images. Keyon Dooling.
Williams was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, and Dooling was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his part, per Yahoo Entertainment.
Khaziran's part in the scheme cost the NBA $1.3 million — and he walked away with $439,000 of that, while former players and their families took the rest, federal prosecutors said.
Related: Ex-NBA Employee Slams League on Official NBA Facebook Page
"As a medical provider, Patrick Khaziran had a responsibility not to abuse his position of trust," said U.S. Atty. Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York. "Instead, Khaziran used his role as a licensed chiropractor to generate dozens of fraudulent invoices for at least 22 former NBA players. He did this to enrich himself and his co-conspirators."
