5 NFL players accused of tax fraud ft. Lawrence Taylor and Freddie Mitchell

Most NFL players make tons of money during their professional football careers. In addition to the massive contracts they sign with their teams, they make additional income from various other outlets, including endorsements and paid appearances. Financially-savvy NFL players will also invest a large portion of their salaries in multiplying their income and helping their value grow exponentially.

Making a ton of money also means paying a ton of taxes. While most do so without issue, it has also led some NFL players to make alleged errors in tax documents or attempts to cheat the system by falsifying their financial claims and reported income. This has resulted in several players running into legal trouble due to tax fraud. Here are five examples.

#1 - William James

Philadelphia Eagles CB William James

William James, formerly known as William Peterson, spent ten seasons in the NFL as a cornerback, mainly with the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. He defended 50 passes in his career while recording eight interceptions and returning one of them for a touchdown.

James failed to file a tax return between the 2005 and 2009 NFL seasons when he made $9.2 million. He was sentenced to seven months in prison and forced to pay $470,000 in back taxes and penalties.

#2 - Freddie Mitchell

Philadelphia Eagles WR Freddie Mitchell

Freddie Mitchell spent his entire NFL career as a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a key member of their 2004 wide receiver group that helped the Eagles win the NFC title and make an appearance in the Super Bowl.

Mitchell was charged with conspiracy to commit tax fraud after assisting someone else in falsifying a tax claim. His role in the scheme has resulted in a prison sentence of 37 months.

#3 - William Joseph

New York Giants DT William Joseph

The New York Giants selected William Joseph with the 25th overall pick in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He spent four years with the team before joining the Las Vegas Raiders for two seasons, totaling seven sacks and 103 tackles across 17 career starts as a defensive tackle.

Joseph reportedly cashed in hundreds of thousands of dollars in fake tax return checks. The FBI set up a fake check cashing store when they were tipped about the operation and caught him using false identification and forged documents to file illegal tax return checks. He was sentenced to two years in federal prison.

#4 - Michael Bennett

Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Michael Bennett

Running back Michael Bennett was selected with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings, where he spent most of his career. His best year was during the 2002 season, totaling 1,647 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns while being chosen for the Pro Bowl.

William Joseph reportedly recruited Michael Bennett into the same tax fraud scam that he was involved with. He taught Bennett his method of falsifying his identification and creating fake tax return documents. Bennett was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in the scam. He was sentenced to another five years in prison for another financial fraud scam.

#5 - Lawrence Taylor

New York Giants LB Lawrence Taylor

Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor is one of the greatest defensive players of all time. He joins the legendary Alan Page as the only two defensive players to win the NFL MVP award. Taylor is also one of just three players to win three Defensive Player of the Year awards, joining Aaron Donald and JJ Watt.

Taylor reportedly filed multiple fraudulent tax returns between the 1990 and 1993 NFL seasons, failing to report his income correctly. He accumulated $123,000 in tax debt, which he had to pay back, while also being sentenced to 90 days of house arrest.