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Breaking News: Former NFL Player Found Guilty In $328 Million Fraud Case, Facing Decades In…

A federal jury in Dallas convicted Keith J. Gray, a 39-year-old former NFL player and owner of two Texas clinical laboratories, on multiple felony counts related to a massive $328 million fraud scheme targeting Medicare.

The verdict was announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on February 19, 2026.

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Former NFL Player Keith J. Gray Convicted in $328 Million Cardiovascular Genetic Testing Fraud Scheme

Gray, of McKinney, Texas, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, and multiple counts of health care fraud and receiving kickbacks. He now faces years in federal prison per health care fraud count, among other potential penalties, with sentencing scheduled at a later date.

How the Scheme Worked

According to court documents and trial evidence, Gray orchestrated a sophisticated fraud through his companies:

Axis Professional Labs LLC and Kingdom Health Laboratory LLC

The scheme involved billing Medicare for medically unnecessary genetic tests marketed as evaluating risk for cardiovascular diseases and conditions. Key tactics included:

Paying illegal kickbacks to marketers for referring Medicare beneficiaries’ DNA samples, personally identifiable information (including Medicare numbers), and signed test orders.

Marketers used telemarketing and “doctor chase” — pressuring primary care physicians into signing off on tests after non-medical personnel “qualified” patients over the phone.

Concealing payments through sham contracts and invoices labeled as “marketing hours,” “software,” or nonexistent loans — often reverse-engineered to match agreed kickback amounts.

Text messages presented at trial showed Gray and a co-conspirator celebrating the fraud, including one exchange where the co-conspirator wrote:

“$ent, you should have it any minute if you don’t already. Get it?” Gray replied: “Sorry I was filling my bathtub with ones. Yes lol.”

Gray’s Background

Keith Gray - Via Getty Images

Keith Gray – Via Getty Images

Gray played briefly in the NFL before transitioning to the laboratory business. His conviction marks a significant fall from grace for the former athlete-turned-entrepreneur who built a multimillion-dollar operation on fraudulent Medicare claims.

The case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Unit.

This conviction is part of a broader crackdown on genetic testing fraud schemes, which have defrauded Medicare of billions in recent years through unnecessary cardiovascular and hereditary cancer panels.

If you or someone you know has information about health care fraud, contact the HHS-OIG Hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS.

What are your thoughts on this case—another example of fraud in genetic testing, or shocking given Gray’s NFL background? Share below.