![An October 30 court date is set for Camario A. Richardson. [Image credit: Creative Commons]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/10/22/660x290/b_502x220x82/an-october-30-court-date-is-set-for-camario-a-richardson-image-credit-creative-commons_1647187.jpg "An October 30 court date is set for Camario A. Richardson. [Image credit: Creative Commons]")
An October 30 hearing is scheduled in US District Court for the Western District of Missouri in Kansas City for an Ohio man accused of defrauding five National Football League players, including one from the Kansas City Chiefs, by promising them name-brand merchandise to help them with their charity projects.
A federal grand jury indicted Camaro A. Richardson, 38, Maple Heights, Ohio, earlier this month on one count of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud, all connected to schemes designed to cheat NFL athletes who were providing gifts to disadvantaged children.
Chiefs linebacker's book bag project targeted
The federal indictment did not name the football players Richardson allegedly defrauded in his schemes, but described an event that has been a staple in the Kansas City community for the past four years. A Department of Justice news release says Richardson told a Kansas City Chiefs player he could provide 300 name brand book bags to be given to disadvantaged youngsters, but then failed to follow through, at a cost of $6,000.
The event described in the news release, though the Chiefs player is not named, is an annual book bag giveaway sponsored by the linebacker and 2014 Pro Bowl defensive most valuable player Derrick Johnson. Johnson, whose charitable activities have focused on providing educational opportunities for children in the Kansas City area, has provided book bags annually for the past four years.
The indictment says Richardson promised the merchandise for a 2016 giveaway.
Chiefs player not only one scammed
The Chiefs player was not the only one who fell victim to Richardson's fraud, according to the indictment. The Ohio man allegedly pulled the same backpack scheme with players from three other NFL franchises and an athletic shoe scam with a player from a fourth team.
The indictment says Richardson allegedly cheated players from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts out of $6,480 apiece for 300-backpack pledges and $4,320 from a Cincinnati Bengals player for 200 backpacks. A player from the San Diego Chargers was taken for $1,500 for athletic shoes that were never provided.The total amount of Richardson's schemes was $24,780, according to the indictment.
Despite the schemes outlined in the federal grand jury indictment, the children still benefited from the NFL players' charitable projects as the players from each team purchased the supplies from other sources.
