CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A former Chicago Bears player has been sentenced to prison for fraud.
Former Chicago Bears wide receiver Josh Bellamy has been sentenced to three years and one month in prison for defrauding the government of pandemic relief funds.
Bellamy played for the Bears from 2014 to 2018.
According to the Sun-Times, Bellamy, 32, of St. Petersburg, Florida, pleaded guilty on June 9 in the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Court documents revealed Bellamy provided false documents to receive a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan of $1,246,565 for his company, Drip Entertainment LLC.
He later admitted to using the money on personal items from jewelry to hotel stays. He also admitted to paying $311,000 to an alleged co-conspirator as a kickback for his assistance in the scheme, the Sun-Times reported.
In addition to the 37-month prison sentence, Bellamy must serve three years of supervised release and pay the full amount of the loan in restitution and forfeiture.
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