Florida Attorney’s 14-Year RICO Sentence for Defrauding NFL Players Affirmed on Appeal

Published Nov. 6, 2026. Case status is current as of that date.

Athletes and other clients sometimes hand large advances or settlement-related funds to a trusted lawyer. On Jan. 23, 2026, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida announced that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit had affirmed the conviction and sentence of Phillip Timothy Howard, 64, of Tallahassee, a Florida attorney serving a 14-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to racketeering (RICO) in 2023 [1].

Status: Conviction and sentence affirmed Jan. 7, 2026, in an unpublished Eleventh Circuit opinion. Howard remains serving the 14-year sentence [1].

What court documents reflect

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office summary of court documents [1]:

1. Between December 2015 and January 2018, Howard used his Tallahassee firm Howard & Associates, P.A., to commit wire fraud and money laundering through a racketeering enterprise.
2. He defrauded clients including NFL players, third-party litigation lenders, and a university professor.
3. In all, he fraudulently obtained more than $12 million from his victims.

The person sentenced

Phillip Timothy Howard, 64, Tallahassee, Fla. Florida attorney. Pleaded guilty to RICO in 2023; sentenced to 14 years; conviction and sentence affirmed Jan. 7, 2026 [1].

Red flags for athletes and high-fee clients

These are general warning signs.

• A lawyer who also controls litigation-finance or investment side deals with little paperwork.
• Difficulty getting a clear accounting of where retainer or settlement money went.

What to do

• Use independent counsel to review side agreements.
• Report suspected fraud to the FBI at ic3.gov and your state bar.

Case status (as of Nov. 6, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Phillip Timothy Howard, 64, Tallahassee	U.S. District Court, N.D. Fla.; affirmed by 11th Cir.	Pleaded guilty to RICO (2023); 14-year sentence; affirmed Jan. 7, 2026	[1]

Statuses can change through further appellate or post-conviction action.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, "Florida Attorney's Racketeering Conviction for Defrauding NFL Players & Other Clients Affirmed by the Eleventh Circuit," Jan. 23, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/florida-attorneys-racketeering-conviction-defrauding-nfl-players-other-clients