Ex-NFL professional and poker aficionado Anthony Hutchison found guilty of perpetrating a massive multi-million dollar fraud operation.
In a recent trial in a U.S. federal court in Houston, Anthony Hutchison, a former NFL player and avid poker player, was found guilty on 33 counts. The charges against Hutchison included bribery, conspiracy, tax fraud, and witness tampering.
Hutchison, who was born on February 4, 1961, in Houston, Texas, began his career as a professional football player. After retiring from the NFL in 1985, he founded a landscaping company in Texas. During his three-year NFL career, he played for the Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills, rushing for 63 yards on 22 attempts and scoring two touchdowns.
The trial centred around allegations that Hutchison embezzled up to 800,000 USD (around 703,000 EUR) annually between 2011 and 2020 from the Houston Independent School District (HISD), where no services were ever rendered as a result of these transactions. It is alleged that Hutchison used this money to pay off substantial gambling debts.
Poker pro Ayaz Mahmood testified in court that Hutchison was an impulsive poker player who could lose up to 300,000 USD (around 264,000 EUR) in a single night at high-stakes poker games in Houston.
The false booking of expenses also served to evade taxes, and the total fraud amount is estimated at around 6 million USD (approximately 5.2 million EUR).
Five other HISD officials have also pleaded guilty to conspiracy, and both Hutchison and his co-defendant, Brian Busby, face potential prison sentences of up to 20 years each and fines of up to $250,000 per charge. The highest theoretical penalty that they could receive is life imprisonment.
Both defendants will remain free on bail until the verdict is announced on July 28, 2025. It is important to note that all defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The HISD, the largest school district in the state, has not yet released a statement regarding the verdict. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of transparency and accountability in public funding.
