Former athletic trainer, ringleader in NFL medical reimbursement scam pleads guilty

HOUSTON - An athletic trainer from Houston has pleaded guilty to his role as the ringleader of an NFL medical reimbursement scam. 

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Louis Ray, an athletic trainer, and owner of Rehab Express, the Harris County District Attorney's Office announced Saturday, created fake invoices claiming to perform treatments on former NFL players. Court records claim the fake treatments happened from March 2016 to November 2018. 

Louis Ray (Photo courtesy of Harris County District Attorney's Office)

Since then, Ray has repaid more than $100,000 in restitution and pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony in exchange for five years of deferred adjudication. If his five years of probation are not completed, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. 

MORE: 10 ex-NFL players charged with defrauding healthcare program

Additionally, six of the eight former NFL players implicated in the scheme have pleaded guilty. The investigation was conducted by the Texas Department of Insurance in partnership with the Harris County District Attorney's Office. 

"By working together, these players, aided by a trainer who thought he knew how to game the system, stole from their former teammates," DA Kim Ogg said in a press statement. "The Texas Department of Insurance worked hard to expose this scam and get justice for the victims."