More than thirty defendants in two separate but connected federal investigations into illegal gambling. Insider trading, underperformance and cryptocurrency laundering
2' 54" reading time
Chauncy Billups, an NBA Hall of Famer and Portland Trail Blazers coach, and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier are among more than 30 people charged in two separate but related federal investigations into illegal gambling and organizational crime.
The two cases —one for illegal insider betting and the other for nationwide poker game rigging— spanned years and yielded tens of millions of dollars in illegal profits, according to FBI Director Cass Patel, who unveiled the charges at a news conference in Brooklyn. The charges include internet fraud, money laundering, extortion and illegal gambling.
Rozier was allegedly among the NBA people who provided inside information to organized crime associates, who then used front people to place bets based on that information. This is an insider trading scandal in the NBA, Patel said.
Poker and X-ray tables
Billups, on the other hand, is accused of helping to set up poker games to trick players into participating, believing they would be playing with celebrities. The perpetrators allegedly used high-precision technological means, such as rigged card shuffling machines and X-ray tables.
The ring, according to the indictment, had ties to New York organized crime families, which used extortion and robbery to collect debts, while part of the illegal proceeds was laundered through cryptocurrencies and other methods.
The arrests stemmed from two separate indictments, but some defendants are involved in both cases, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said. Among them is Damon Jones, a former player and assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The case adds to a series of illegal betting scandals that have rocked the so-called"Big Four" leagues in the US - NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL - in recent years.
Scandal history
Recently, former NBA player Jody Porter was banned from the league for life and pleaded guilty in 2024 after being accused of having his performance affected by third-party betting.
Similarly, legendary baseball player Pete Rose was permanently banned in 1989 when it was revealed that he had been betting on games for his team, the Cincinnati Reds. After repeated appeals from President Donald Trump, Rose was removed from the MLB blacklist this year.
The injury after 9 minutes
Terry Rozier, 31, is in his 11th season in the NBA, averaging 13.9 points per game for his career. He was already under scrutiny for a game in March 2023, when betting platforms recorded an unusually high number of bets that he would underperform. Rozier left the game after just nine minutes, citing an injury.
His lawyer said prosecutors appear to be relying on completely unreliable sources, rather than real evidence. Terry had been fully cleared by the NBA, and prosecutors are simply reviving a case that doesn't exist, he added.
Billups, 49, has been Portland's coach for five years. During his playing career, he played for seven teams, winning the 2004 championship with the Detroit Pistons, when he was named NBA Finals MVP.
