Man who scammed Saints players, coaches sentenced

The man who bilked 27 current and former members of the New Orleans Saints organization out of nearly $1.9 million in a fraud case was sentenced to four years in federal prison.

Wayne Read, 47, of Wonder Lake, Ill., was also ordered to make restitution for the missing money after prosecutors were able to recover only $650,000, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Read had sold bogus film tax credits in 2008. He was the former head of Louisiana Film Studios LLC and said he spent the money he collected on studio rent and development and didn’t apply for credits from the state. Kevin Houser, a long snapper for the Saints, was tied to Read when first reports surfaced. He was released by the team, which said the decision had nothing to do with the investment scam. Houser lost $125,000.

Sean Payton was in for $144,000. Defensive end Charles Grant invested the most, per the report, $425,000. Drew Brees lost $100,000.

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

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