Former Sports Agent Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

Benjamin Geller, a former NFL agent, pleaded guilty this week to one count of wire fraud according to a statement released by United States Attorney Dana J. Boente.  Geller, who had been charged in May, was notably an agent for New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Frank Warren.

Benjamin Geller was accused of wire fraud after spending approximately $500,000 worth of life insurance money that rolled into a trust fund after Warren’s death in 2002.  Geller, who was the fund’s trustee, misused finances set aside for Warren’s widowed wife Terrell Warren and children.  The misuse included personal expenses for travel, lodging, and entertainment purposes according to the release.  The original policy was set at $1,000,000.

Terrell Warren first became suspicious of Geller in 2009 when the disbursements from the trusts were lower than the previous years.  Geller continued to wire the diminished beneficiary payments in an effort to mislead Terrell Warren into believing the trust funds were still intact.

According to the federal statutes in this case, Geller faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.  The decision to accept responsibility absent a trial should help Geller receive a more favorable punishment.

Sentencing has been scheduled for September 12, 2013 at 2:00 p.m.