Alabama University’s Former Player Sent to Prison on Fraud Charges
ByA former University of Alabama linebacker is convicted Wednesday and sentenced to eight months in prison on charges of fraud.
Saleem Rasheed, who also played for the San Francisco 49er for four seasons in the National football League, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre to eight months in prison and eight months in home detention on two charges including food stamp fraud and claiming a woman as his wife.
Rasheed pleaded guilty for claiming food stamps from October 2009 until April 2010 showing himself as unemployed, while he was working as a teacher at a school in Jefferson County during that time. He received $5,551 in Family and Food Assistance.
He also claimed a woman as his wife in the immigration form, while he was legally married to another woman. Rasheed married Haddam Benachou in Morroco in 2005 and they moved to the United States in 2006. But he married another woman Saida Mohamed Hussein in 2007 without legally divorcing Benachou. The Department of Homeland Security noticed the violation in the immigration form and charged Rasheed for claiming another woman as his wife.
Rasheed was arrested in April and is currently serving jail term for indulging in sexual acts with girls when he was a teacher at the Woodlawn High School in Jefferson County. Rasheed will be serving five and a half months as he has already served two and half months in prison.
The former linebacker has already paid back the $5,551 that he received as financial aid along with a fine of $500. The judge ordered Rasheed to write letters explaining his dishonesty to family and friends who showered their support for him. She said that he had to finish the letters before completing his home detention, reported al.com.
Rasheed has played college football for the Alabama University between 1999 and 2001. He played for the National Football League including the San Francisco 49er for four seasons before joining the Canadian Football for one year. He then worked as a teacher in Jefferson County till 2011.