Former Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood is facing 3 felonies, up to 50 years in prison after allegedly committing COVID-19 tax fraud

Former Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood is facing serious legal trouble, as federal authorities have charged him with three felonies related to what they describe as COVID-19 tax fraud. According to CBS News, Smallwood is accused of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the IRS. If convicted, he could face up to 50 years in prison.

Court documents filed in Delaware allege that Smallwood submitted fraudulent information to obtain tens of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds. Prosecutors claim he applied for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the Small Business Administration using defunct or recently created businesses and falsified details about their operations.

The accusations also include involvement in a kickback conspiracy to defraud federal COVID-19 relief programs and providing false information to tax authorities.

Wendell Smallwood has not yet been arraigned or entered a plea. His attorney, Mark B. Sheppard, issued a brief statement, saying, “Wendell has cooperated fully with this investigation. We will have more to say when we appear in December.” A hearing is scheduled for next month.

COVID-19 was a worldwide fraud but sure, let’s punish Wendell Smallwood…

You can’t help but shake your head at the irony surrounding Wendell Smallwood’s legal troubles. The former Eagles running back is facing up to 50 years in prison for allegedly defrauding COVID-19 relief programs, and yet, the very system he’s accused of exploiting has been a goldmine for scammers at every level—with governments around the world essentially getting a free pass for their own mishandling of pandemic funds.

Obviously, if the allegations against Wendell Smallwood are true, it’s not a good look. But let’s zoom out for a second: this is a guy who allegedly exploited a broken system—a system that lost hundreds of billions of dollars to fraud, mismanagement, and negligence. And yet, here we are, focusing on Smallwood while the big picture gets swept under the rug.

Remember the early days of the pandemic?

Money was being thrown around like confetti, and oversight was basically nonexistent. Major corporations, millionaire celebrities, and even businesses overseas were cashing in on PPP loans and relief funds. Meanwhile, taxpayers footed the bill.

Sure, there was some outrage, but how many of those big players have been held accountable?

Exactly.

Now, take Wendell Smallwood. A guy who allegedly scammed tens of thousands—not millions, not billions—and he’s looking at a potential 50-year sentence. It’s not to excuse his actions if he’s guilty, but let’s be real: this feels like federal prosecutors trying to send a message while ignoring the bigger, messier fraud happening at a systemic level.

This isn’t just a U.S. problem, either. Countries around the globe had their own pandemic relief disasters, with money disappearing into the ether thanks to poor planning and outright corruption. And yet, the institutions responsible for handing out these funds largely walked away without any major repercussions.

Smallwood, on the other hand, is a convenient scapegoat—a headline-grabbing case for a system that wants to say, “Look, we’re cracking down on fraud!” without actually addressing the larger issues. If convicted, Smallwood deserves to face consequences, but it’s hard not to see the hypocrisy. The very system he’s accused of exploiting has let far bigger fish get away with far worse.

So while we wait to see what happens in court, let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture. Smallwood might’ve fumbled off the field, but the real embarrassment is how governments let their pandemic relief programs turn into a free-for-all—and somehow walked away without paying the price.

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