Buckley will do time for fraud

Former NFL player Marcus Buckley was sentenced to two years in federal prison and ordered to repay nearly $1.6 million in bogus worker’s compensation claims. Buckley, 46, of Weatherford, submitted numerous fraudulent claims after the New York Giants initially agreed to a $300,000 settlement in 2010 for cumulative stress injuries from playing football, federal prosecutors in Sacramento, Calif., said. Buckley, a linebacker, played for the Giants for seven seasons between 1993 and 2000 and earned All-America honors at Texas A&M as a senior in 1992. Buckley filed false invoices, false credit collection notices for late medical bills and false statements from medical providers to receive additional compensation beyond the initial settlement. A co-defendant — claims adjuster Kimberly Jones — then arranged for about $1.59 million in worker’s compensation insurance payments to Buckley. Buckley and Jones were indicted in 2013. She pleaded guilty in 2015 and he in 2016, both under plea agreements. … David Tagliarino is the deputy athletics director at the University of Houston. Tagliarino takes over the No. 2 position in the athletic department at his alma mater, where he was a 1993 graduate before embarking on a 25-year career in the Houston sports market. He spent the last six years as chief operating officer/senior vice president for Forever Orange, LLC, overseeing day-today operational aspects for the Dynamo, Dash, BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston Sports Park and Dynamo Charities.