LOS ANGELES – (INT) – Former Los Angeles Lakers power forward Kermit Washington has been hit with a federal fraud indictment.

The indictment alleges that Washington, 64, used a charity he founded and operated, Project Contact Africa, to defraud donors, eBay and PayPal and the Internal Revenue Service.

In order to induce individuals, including former professional athletes, to make donations, Washington falsely represented that 100 percent of the donations would go to Africa. However, Washington diverted the charitable donations to buy gifts and pay personal expenses, including rent, vacations, jewelry and entertainment.

Washington was arrested Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Washington is remembered for a 1977 fight on the basketball court at The Forum in Inglewood in which Rudy Tomjanovich, an All-Star forward for the Houston Rockets, was nearly killed. It became one of the most frightening moments in NBA history.

Story Date: May 30, 2016