Former Miami Heat player Udonis Haslem’s sister Sheana has been charged with committing pandemic relief fraud.
“Federal prosecutors say Sheana Haslem, a staffing specialist for the Miami Police Department, submitted fraudulent applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program in 2020 and 2021,” Naomi Feinstein wrote. “[Sheana] Haslem received almost $31,000 from the relief programs through the scheme, according to the charging document.
“With the assistance of an ‘unnamed individual,’ prosecutors allege, [Sheana] Haslem sent a fraudulent EIDL application claiming to be an independent contractor and owner of a lucrative hair-and-nail salon business. In her application, she made bogus claims that the business had 15 employees and gross revenue of nearly $90,000 from January 31, 2019, to January 31, 2020, the feds say.”
More information was offered on the matter.
“Following her request for EIDL funds, Sheana Haslem allegedly submitted a scam application for a PPP loan for a security officer business,” Feinstein wrote.
“Prosecutors say she falsely represented that her average monthly payroll for the business was $8,333 and submitted an Internal Revenue Service Form 1040 (Schedule C) for 2019. ‘That fraudulent Schedule C falsely claimed that [Sheana] Haslem’s business had a gross income of $102,874, no expenses, and a net profit of $102,874,’ the charging document states.
“[Sheana] Haslem ultimately received nearly $21,000 in PPP loan money from a lender not named in the court file. She is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.”
Udonis Haslem spent the entirety of his 20-year NBA career with the Heat franchise after joining the team as an undrafted free agent. The 43-year-old went undrafted in the 2002 NBA Draft then played briefly overseas before joining the Heat.
In 879 total regular-season games played with Miami, he averaged 7.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 75.6 percent from the charity stripe.
In his final NBA regular season, the 2022-23 season, he averaged 3.9 points and 1.6 rebounds per game on 34.5 percent shooting from the floor across just seven appearances with the Heat.
Udonis Haslem didn’t see the court on a consistent basis during the twilight years of his pro career. During his final seven seasons in the NBA, he failed to appear in more than 16 games in any single regular season.
The final time Udonis Haslem played at least 60 games in a single regular season for the Heat came in the 2014-15 campaign, when he suited up in 62 games and averaged 4.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per contest while shooting 44.8 percent from the field.
But earlier on in his Heat career, Udonis Haslem served as an important role player on multiple teams that ultimately won titles. In the 2005-06 regular season, he logged 80 starts with the Heat and averaged 9.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
The 2005-06 iteration of the Heat won the 2006 NBA title after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in six games. The Mavericks held a 2-0 series lead at one point before Miami won the final four games of the championship series.
Fast forward a few seasons, and Udonis Haslem served as a productive player on the 2011-12 iteration of the Heat, which captured the 2012 NBA title. He also helped the 2012-13 squad reach the promised land.
It will be interesting to find out where Sheana Haslem’s situation goes from here. Expect to receive updates on her case in the future.
