2026 is also turning out to be a bad time for former Philadelphia Eagles and now Tampa Bay linebacker Haason Reddick. Aside from his on-field struggles, he also has to see his family face a tough road ahead in their lives. Reddick’s father might be facing jail time for running a massive fraud.

Raymond Matthews pled guilty in a COVID-relief funding fraud case this month, having been accused of usurping millions of dollars from the federal government, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. According to an agreement with the prosecution, Matthews is looking at 51 months in prison for the crime. Also involved in this case is his ex-wife, Tia Wright. Both were charged with bank and wire fraud conspiracy.

According to the lawsuit, Matthews, Wright, and others were siphoning off money from the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. These programs were meant to help struggling businesses survive and keep their employees paid. Investigators say they used fake paperwork to make businesses appear real and financially active when they were not.

In one example, Matthews submitted an EIDL loan application in March 2020 for a company called Vintage Properties LLC, listing himself as the sole owner. That application was denied because of his poor credit history. Matthews and the co-conspirators later applied for additional funds, misrepresenting the number of people working in these businesses and overstating their income.

Matthews has now agreed to repay all the stolen money and to give up nearly $850,000 in property. The court documents show no link to Haason Reddick in this fraud case.

Interestingly, there is a separate lawsuit that involved Reddick, Matthews, and Wright. In 2024, the linebacker was sued by a former business partner for not paying him his due of $1.6 million, after the sale of Haven Home Health Agency, which used to provide aid for seniors in the Camden area. The project was looked after by Matthews, while Wright was an “administrator,” according to the Inquirer. It is not known whether this business is linked to their current case, for which they are to be sentenced.

This development does come as a shock for the Camden community, where the father-son duo once led a selfless venture to help out the needy.

Haason Reddick gives back to Camden

Off the field, Haason Reddick has built a strong reputation for giving back to his hometown of Camden. He has been involved in charity work for years and has even shared plans to build homes for people in need. He took a step toward that in 2024 by forming Urban Renaissance Community Builders Corp., with plans to build more than two dozen homes in Camden. The project was expected to be completed in 22 months.

The organization had secured $6 million in funding, and each house was to be priced at $245,000 each. $4.5 million came from a construction loan, while $500,000 was loaned from the government.

Matthews was listed as vice president of the nonprofit. Tia Wright was the chief financial officer. Company documents stated that Matthews had more than 25 years of experience as an “owner/operator of a restaurant, nightclub, banquet hall, and real estate investor.”

Seeing his father serving time is going to be tough on Reddick, who played a role in his developmental years in college football.  His sentencing is scheduled for August 24.