CLEVELAND – A former NFL player who had roles with two inner-city Cleveland organizations has been charged in federal court with stealing more than $100,000 from them to pay gambling debts and personal expenses.
Former Browns player Reggie Rucker was charged Tuesday by information, which signals that he intends to plead guilty. The 68-year-old from Warrensville Heights is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of making false statements.
He is accused of stealing the money from Amer-I-Can Cleveland and Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance, which tries to resolve conflicts between feuding street gangs. Court documents say Rucker withdrew $48,000 from ATMs at casinos in Las Vegas, Tampa, Florida, and Cleveland and used $65,000 to pay Las Vegas gambling debts.
An attorney says Rucker accepts responsibility for his "wrongful conduct."
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