Wendell Smallwood Jr., a former West Virginia running back and Super Bowl Champion with the Philadelphia Eagles, has pled guilty to multiple counts of felony fraud.
With the guilty plea, Smallwood could face up to 50 years in prison and will now await his sentencing in May. However, it is worth noting that defendants with no prior convictions are rarely ever hit with punishments that severe.
“(Wendell Smallwood) took full responsibility for his actions,” his lawyer, Mark Sheppard, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “He recognizes that this is but the first step to try to begin to make amends to the government and to those closest to him. He will continue to do so.”
Last month, CBS Sports reported that Smallwood had been charged with defrauding federal COVID-19 relief programs. Per the report and court documents, Smallwood was charged with three felonies — wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service.
Federal prosecutors allege that Smallwood defrauded government agencies by submitting false information to get thousands of dollars in relief for businesses that he ran. The report also says that Smallwood is being accused of being involved in a “kickback conspiracy to defraud COVID-19 relief programs and lying to tax authorities.”
According to court documents, Smallwood applied for COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) using “defunct or recently registered businesses and claimed false business operations.”
Smallwood was drafted by the Eagles out of West Virginia in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent three seasons in Philly but also had stints in Washington and Pittsburgh, and was signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad but never appeared in a game.
