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Nearly four months after pleading guilty to his role in a nationwide scheme to defraud the NFL's healthcare benefit program for league veterans, former All-Pro running back Clinton Portis is seeking no jail time ahead of his Jan. 6 sentencing hearing. Federal prosecutors, meanwhile, are recommending a high-end sentencing -- between 10 and 16 months of prison time -- as well as a fine for Portis' involvement in the fraud case. That's according to U.S. District Court filings obtained by CBS Sports.

Portis, 40, best known as a repeat Pro Bowler for the Washington Football Team from 2004-2010, wrongfully obtained nearly $100,000 as part of a crime ring that sought more than $2.8 million through false reimbursement claims. Former NFL linebacker Robert McCune allegedly orchestrated the scheme, which targeted a reimbursement account established to help retired players cover medical expenses, but Portis admitted in August that he made two separate false and fraudulent claims as part of the operation.

Portis' counsel filed a sentencing memorandum Dec. 30 to request a sentence of "time served" in lieu of incarceration, meaning he would face zero jail time after Thursday's sentencing. Other defendants, including fellow NFL alumni Antwan Odom, Carlos Rogers and Joe Horn, avoided incarceration despite similar conduct in the scheme, Portis' filing states. The retired Washington star also notes that he now has multiple minor children, including infant twins born in...

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