Robert Traylor

Forward/centre
 
College: Admitted that as a high school and college player, he and his family accepted some $160,000 in cash and gifts from local basketball junkie Ed Martin, who used to run an illegal lottery at area Ford plants. Not charged.
 
May 2000: Arrested for driving a stolen car. Teammate Tim Thomas took it for a test drive, and then never brought it back. Traylor was alone in the car, driving, when pulled over. Whilst ticketing Traylor for speeding, they discovered the car had been reported stolen. Released after the owner decided not to press charges.
 
2007: Arrested and charged with filing a false tax return. Traylor's name was used to make it appear that he had purchased two rental properties in Detroit when the purchases had been funded and the properties owned by Quasand Lewis, a big time drug dealer. Traylor also admitted that on his 2004 federal income tax return, he claimed a loss of over $205,000 from the rental properties, which was a lie. Sentenced to three months in a half-way house followed by three months home confinement as part of a three-year probationary sentence. Also ordered to re-file correct tax returns and cooperate with the IRS. Whole case highlighted by this quote from Traylor's own lawyer: "For those who think that all NBA players are wealthy, Robert Traylor is an example of one who is not". Additionally, there's an amusing tale of how this entire scheme was rumbled, which involves a fake dead body in a hotel, but you can look that up for yourselves.
 
September 2009: Sentenced to 60 days in jail after not abiding by the terms of his probation. Traylor was ordered to repay $178,000 in back taxes as a part of the above proceedings, yet he did not keep up to date with the payments, nor file the necessary paperwork. The sentence was suspended, giving Traylor 14 days in which to cooperate with the IRS and set up a new payment plan.

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