Man impersonating Marcus Smart sentenced to 12 years after $600 million insurance scam 

A federal court has handed down a 12-year prison sentence to a Long Island medical biller. This comes after the biller, implicated in an insurance fraud scheme, impersonated multiple patients, including Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart, as reported by the Associated Press.

In July 2022, 54-year-old Matthew James faced a conviction for fraud and identity theft. His scheme involved swindling insurance companies out of hundreds of millions of dollars. He strategically utilized his medical billing companies, directing doctors to schedule elective surgeries through emergency rooms. This tactic not only inflated insurance reimbursement rates but also involved billing for procedures that deviated from the actual services performed.

Reporting the story, the Associated Press wrote:

When insurance companies rejected the claims, he called, pretending to be an outraged patient or policyholder who was facing a huge bill and demanding that the insurer pay up.

According to court documents submitted by James’ legal team, in 2018, he assumed the identity of Marcus Smart during the hand surgery of the former Boston Celtics star. During James’ trial, Smart testified, expressing worries that this impersonation scheme could negatively impact his reputation as a role model, as outlined in court papers from the prosecutors.

Speaking after the sentencing, James’ attorney had said:

He sincerely and deeply regrets his misguided phone calls and communications with insurance companies in which he pretended to be patients in an effort to maximize and expedite payments for the genuine medical services provided by his doctor-clients.

Regardless, in what is an extremely rare occurrence, an NBA player saw his identity being stolen. Smart has not yet publicly responded to the case, and it will be interesting to see how he does if he does it.

Marcus Smart makes emotional return to the Boston Celtics

Sunday witnessed Marcus Smart’s return to TD Garden, the home court of the Boston Celtics, marking his first appearance since the trade that transferred him to the Memphis Grizzlies and brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. Sporting a splint due to a severe right ring finger injury, Marcus Smart couldn’t play, but it failed to dampen the emotions of the crowd. The audience had gathered primarily to celebrate the player who evolved into the heart and soul of the franchise.

Speaking to Inside the Celtics, Smart said:

Boston is definitely a second home for me. I spent a little bit over half of my life here, almost. Like you said, I got here when I was 20; now, I'm about to be turning 30 in March. So, I can go on all day about everything that I've experienced here. But just the way that Boston took me in, you know, we all know playing in this city isn't the easiest, and there's plenty of times where they let us know about it, especially me.

He continued:

But everything is always great here, and I speak for everybody, opposing teams and guys who have played here, that it's nothing like playing in this place and playing in this city and with these fans. And they allowed me to grow. They allowed me to see a different side of myself. And they watched me become a man. So, my favorite things will always be here. But they definitely have shaped my life and in many ways.

During Smart’s tenure in Boston, he experienced notable highs, such as becoming the first guard since Gary Payton to win Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in the Celtics’ journey to the 2022 NBA Finals, falling just two wins short of raising Banner 18 to the TD Garden rafters.

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