Ex-Eagles player pleads guilty to federal fraud charges related to pandemic aid programs

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Former Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood Jr. has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges after he was accused of submitting fraudulent tax returns and applications for hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 pandemic aid programs.

The signed plea agreement was approved Friday by a federal judge in Delaware. Smallwood, of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, faces sentencing in May on the three fraud charges.

Smallwood’s lawyer, Mark Sheppard, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Smallwood appeared in court Friday “and forthrightly took full responsibility for his actions. 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.”

Smallwood, 30, was originally charged in October.

He filed false tax returns for himself and others in 2021 and 2022, drawing refunds for himself of about $110,000, prosecutors said.

He also used what prosecutors said were defunct or recently registered businesses and provided false information about the scale of their operations, such as start dates, revenue amounts, expenses and number of employees. Some were under his name, while others were under other people’s names.

In one scheme, Smallwood used false information when he applied to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program for loans for three businesses under his name. The U.S. Small Business Administration approved loans of just over $46,000, prosecutors said.

In a separate scheme, Smallwood submitted fraudulent applications in the names of at least 13 other people for the Paycheck Protection Program, prosecutors said. A bank disbursed loans of nearly $270,000, from which Smallwood received kickbacks in return for preparing and submitting the applications, prosecutors said.

The Eagles drafted Smallwood out of West Virginia University in 2016. The Delaware native played three seasons for the Eagles before spending time over three more seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the team now known as the Washington Commanders.