Former Eagles receiver Freddie Mitchell was sentenced to more than three years in prison for his role in a tax fraud scheme.
Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II sentenced Mitchell to 37 months in prison in an Orlando courtroom today. Mitchell could have received up to 10 years in prison, but his attorneys asked for probation, saying that Mitchell suffered concussions during his playing career and should be given leniency.
Mitchell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to file a false claim with the government after he and two co-defendants were caught filing a false tax return under the name of NBA player Drew Gooden. Mitchell and the two other men got a refund of $2 million in Gooden’s name. Gooden was not accused of any wrongdoing, and it was Gooden filing a correct tax return that tipped the authorities off to the fraudulent one that had already been filed for him.
A 2001 first-round draft pick of the Eagles, Mitchell is best remembered for a fourth-and-26 catch that helped the Eagles beat the Packers in the 2004 playoffs.