The Department of Justice is charging a former NBA player with allegedly using his charity to line his own pockets.
The indictment, which was unsealed May 25, claims former power forward Kermit Washington used hundreds of thousands of dollars from his charity Project Contact Africa to “buy gifts and pay personal expenses, including rent, vacations, jewelry and entertainment.” The Department of Justice is charging he defrauded the IRS, Ebay, Paypal and donors by claiming 100 percent of donations would go to Africa.
U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson alleged Washington “used his celebrity status to exploit the good intentions of those who donated to a charity he founded.” She said he “profited by diverting … donations that were supposed to benefit a clinic in Africa for needy families and children, but instead bankrolled his own personal spending.”
Washington, 64, is best known for punching opposing player Rudy Tomjanovich in the face during an on-court fight in 1977. The nearly fatal punch forced Tomjanovich into retirement, after which he became a coach. Washington, then a Los Angeles Laker, was suspended for 60 days with a hefty fine and his career never recovered from the infamous incident.
Washington was arrested May 24 in Los Angeles and appeared in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California before being released on bond. He is being charged with interfering with tax laws, aggravated identity theft, conspiring to commit wire fraud and obstruction.
If convicted, he could face as much as 20 years in prison for the last two charges and a $250,000 maximum fine for each count.
