Former National Basketball Players Association vice president and current Utah Jazz assistant coachKeyon Dooling was arrested Wednesday for illegally collecting $2.5 million from the NBA’s health and welfare benefit plan.
Dooling personally pocketed $350,000 from the scheme and recruited others to join.
The Department of Justice released a transcript of a text exchange with a co-conspirator demonstrating his role in the defrauding of the NBA’s benefits program.
The Jazz said they were made aware of the situation by Dooling on Wednesday.
“It is a case concerning his time at the National Basketball Players Association, prior to him joining our organization,” the Jazz said in a statement. “He has been put on paid administrative leave. Due to the ongoing legal process, we will refrain from further comment.”
The Jazz play Game 6 in the first round of the playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks in Utah on Thursday. The Mavs have the advantage as the winners of three games in the series.