Ex-Eagles Receiver Fraud: Freddie Mitchell Admits Guilt in Orlando Tax Scam Faces 10 years in Prison

Ex-Eagles wide receiver Freddie Mitchell pleads guilty in a tax-fraud scheme and now faces up to 10 years in prison.

Mitchell pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to file a false claim in federal court in Orlando, Florida, Friday. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

Prosecutors say Mitchell and two others plotted a scheme that involved filing false tax return on behalf of another professional athlete, only identified with initials "A.G."

The plan was devised to receive a larger refund from the IRS and took place without the knowledge of the other athlete. Mitchell's was to recruit more athletes, while the other two filed the returns while they charged for their services as tax preparers.

Mitchell told the judge as his guilty plea that "he knew fraud was being committed and yet he did not stop the illegal activities or report it to law enforcement."

Mitchell was selected by the Eagles in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft, and spent four seasons on the team, culminating in an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX following the 2004 NFL season. He was released by the Eagles on May 6, 2005.

Then he was signed shortly by the Kansas City Chiefs but he declined to have arthroscopic surgery on his injured knee and was released before the start of the season. After concluding his NFL career, he bought a barbecue restaurant in Lakeland in 2008, however the venue was closed in September 2009.