Former Pittsburgh Steelers RB Wendell Smallwood has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for COVID-related fraud. As reported by the Newsjournal.com/Delaware Online, Smallwood was sentenced Thursday. He also owes more than $600,000 in restitution. Smallwood pled guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy and tax fraud.
CBS Sports’ Cody Nagel outlined the key details.
“According to the report, prosecutors said Smallwood exploited COVID-19 economic relief programs by submitting false applications for nonexistent or defunct businesses, diverting more than $500,000 in federal aid. Court documents obtained by The News Journal indicate he personally profited at least $200,000 from the scheme. In addition, he participated in a separate tax fraud operation, submitting more than $110,000 in falsified returns and receiving kickbacks from individuals involved, prosecutors said.”
Smallwood, now 31, spent the 2020 summer with the Steelers. He signed with the team at the start of training camp and was rostered through final cutdowns. Because of COVID, the NFL did not hold preseason games and the Steelers’ training camp was closed to the public.
After being released, Pittsburgh brought Smallwood back to the practice squad, where he spent most of the season. The Steelers elevated him to the Active/Inactive roster for a Week 12 game against the Baltimore Ravens. He logged two special teams snaps but didn’t play a snap on offense, much less touch the ball.
Pittsburgh did not re-sign Smallwood after the season.
A former fifth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, Smallwood played college football at West Virginia. In 2015, he led the Big 12 in rushing with more than 1,500 yards. He spent his first three years with the Eagles, rushing for over 300 yards as a rookie and was part of the team’s 2017 Super Bowl run, earning a ring. He set a career-high with 364 rushing yards in 2018. Cut the following summer, he was claimed by the Washington Redskins, rushing for 81 yards across 15 games while playing on special teams.
After his stint with the Steelers, Smallwood returned to Washington for 2021. He appeared in three games, registering five carries for 25 yards.
In 2014, Smallwood was arrested on charges of witness tampering. Those charges were later dropped.
“I feel like I let the community down,” Smallwood told the judge Thursday, via CBS Sports. “I let down a lot of people that love me.”
Per the article, Smallwood’s sentence will begin in December after he completes credits for his degree at West Virginia.
