Photo: Getty Images North America
The Justice Department announced new charges on Thursday (October 23) implicating dozens of defendants, including prominent NBA coaches and players and alleged organized-crime members, in schemes involving fraud, money laundering, illegal gambling, and extortion, per USA Today.
Among the defendants named are Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones. The Justice Department said indictments were secured in two separate cases, both tied to high-stakes illegal gambling and insider betting.
In one of the indictments, six defendants, including Rozier and Jones, face charges related to an alleged insider sports-betting conspiracy. Prosecutors say the defendants exploited non-public information, such as which players would sit out games or exit early due to purported injuries, from December 2022 to March 2024. The scheme also reportedly involved pressuring players, including former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter, who was banned by the NBA in 2024 for violating gambling policies.
Prosecutor Joseph Nocella Jr. called it “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.”
Defendants in that case are charged with conspiring to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
A separate indictment names 31 defendants, including Billups and Jones, accused of running rigged underground poker games. Prosecutors allege the group used high-tech cheating devices, including modified shuffling machines, to steal millions from unsuspecting players.
The scheme also allegedly involved members of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families, who already controlled non-rigged, illegal poker operations in New York City. Participants reportedly helped organize games, take a cut of proceeds, and enforce debt collections.
Charges in that case include wire fraud conspiracy, illegal gambling, money laundering, robbery, and extortion.
“The fraud is mind boggling,” FBI Director Kash Patel said during a press conference on Thursday. “We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud, theft, and robbery across a multi-year investigation.”
The NBA has placed Billups and Rozier on immediate leave pending further investigation.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.