Less than 24 hours before facing a civil case brought by the Department of Justice over alleged tax debts, four-time Super Bowl champion Bill Romanowski and his wife, Julie, filed for bankruptcy on Monday.
Legal documents obtained by USA Today revealed that the couple was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday to address allegations of owing more than $15.5 million in back taxes. However, their bankruptcy filing triggers an automatic pause in the Department of Justice’s collection efforts.
The US attorneys claim that the Romanowskis utilized their nutrition company as a personal fund to support their extravagant lifestyle while evading tax obligations dating back to 1998. Allegedly, Nutrition53 was used for personal expenses ranging from rent and groceries to numerous visits to nail salons, hair salons, and day spas.
This latest controversy adds to Bill Romanowski’s history of legal issues. In 2003, he infamously ended his Raiders teammate Marcus Williams’ career by punching him in the face, leading to a lawsuit settled for $415,000. Romanowski’s on-field conduct also includes kicking Arizona Cardinals fullback Larry Centers in the head in 1995 and spitting in the face of 49ers receiver J.J. Stokes, along with breaking Panthers quarterback Kerry Collins’ jaw on a helmet-to-helmet hit in a preseason game.
Following his retirement in 2003, Romanowski admitted to using steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) during the latter stages of his career. Despite his controversial reputation, Romanowski achieved considerable success in the NFL, earning two Pro Bowl selections and winning two Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and another two with the Denver Broncos before retiring as a member of the Oakland Raiders.