Ex-NFL WR Josh Bellamy gets 3 years in prison for $1.2M in COVID relief fraud
Former NFL wide receiver Josh Bellamy has been sentenced to 37 months in prison for a scheme that saw him illegally obtain more than $1.2 million in COVID-19 relief funds.
Bellamy, who last played for the New York Jets in 2019, pleaded guilty to to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on June 9. A federal court in Tampa handed down his prison sentence on Friday and ordered him to pay $1,246,565 in restitution and the same amount in forfeiture for the fraudulently obtained funds, according to court records.
Per the court, Bellamy used falsified documents and information to obtain the loan for his company Drip Entertainment, LLC through the federal government's Paycheck Protection Program. PPP was put in place to help businesses maintain their workforces during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bellamy was initially charged among a group of 11 defendants accused of illegally applying for more than $24 million in PPP funds.
According to records, Bellamy used the funds on personal expenditures including jewelry and a stay at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. He also sought loans for family members and said that he used $311,000 in funds to pay back alleged co-conspirator James Stote, whom he claims helped him prepare his fraudulent loan application. Stote has been charged with wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. His case is pending.
Bellamy, 32, played eight NFL seasons from 2012-19 with the Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Football Team and Chicago Bears. According to Spotrac, he collected more than $8.1 million in career earnings.
Bellamy isn't the first former NFL player to plead guilty in a COVID-19 relief fund scheme. Former Jets, Patriots and Raiders wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins pleaded guilty in October to fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 unemployment insurance benefits from the state of California. He's scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 6 and faces a maximum of 12 years in prison.
