Ralph Sampson, the former NBA star and three-time College Player of the Year for the Cavaliers will go to jail after a plea bargain with federal prosecutors over charges of mail fraud, according to several published news reports, including Sports Illustrated. This isn’t the first time Sampson has tried to run his game off the court—he also owes $300,000 in back child support to two mothers of his children.
In the plea agreement, Sampson agreed to serve two months in jail for mail fraud involving the purchase of a $43,000 SUV. In exchange, prosecutors will drop charges of perjury and making false statements about finances in a child support case. If he’d been convicted on those charges, Sampson could have found himself shooting hoops in the jail yard for up to five years.
Sampson pleaded guilty last year to owing the $300,000 in child support to two of his children’s mothers, who both live in Northern Virginia. During that proceeding, Sampson concealed $5,000 monthly income he earned as a consultant and a $200,000 home he received as a gift.
Under the agreement, Samp-son will still pay the back child support. His attorneys argued to delay his incarceration until 2007 so he can spend time in Atlanta with his fiancée and their daughter. The judge granted his request—Sampson will be incarcerated April 2, 2007. In total, Sampson has eight kids and five former spouses—more than enough for a pick-up game.
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