Injured professional athletes were cheated, former lawyer admits

A former New Orleans lawyer pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal mail fraud charge related to his theft of workers’ compensation claims that rightfully belonged to four professional athletes who suffered "career-ending injuries." Robert Leo Hackett, 67, stole a total of $462,615 from the former hockey and football players from 1997 to 2007, according to a news release by U.S. Attorney Jim Letten’s office.