The head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and a player from the Miami Heat were taken into custody on Thursday, along with over 30 others, in connection with two elaborate illegal betting and poker operations allegedly involving Mafia groups, as per authorities.
Portland’s coach, Chauncey Billups, faces charges related to an alleged conspiracy to manipulate high-stakes card games in various locations, including Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan, and the Hamptons, which were reportedly supported by La Cosa Nostra crime families. Meanwhile, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is implicated in a separate plot to orchestrate deceitful bets by exploiting insider knowledge about NBA players.
The newly revealed indictments in New York cast a shadow over the NBA, which recently began its season, highlighting the susceptibility of certain wager types to significant fraud within the rapidly expanding multi-billion-dollar legal sports betting sector. Joseph Nocella, the lead federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York, described it as “one of the most audacious sports corruption schemes since the widespread legalization of online sports betting in the United States.”
Nocella warned the defendants apprehended that their luck had run out and their winning streak was over. Both Billups and Rozier are facing charges of money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and were anticipated to appear in court for initial proceedings later on the same day. Additionally, former NBA assistant coach and player Damon Jones is also among the accused in both alleged schemes.
FBI director Kash Patel expressed astonishment at the extensive fraud, stating that the investigation uncovered fraud, theft, and robbery amounting to tens of millions of dollars over several years. However, the purported fraudulent activities pale in comparison to the substantial earnings the athletes amassed during their playing careers. Billups, a recent inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame, reportedly earned around $106 million in his 17-year career, while Rozier accumulated approximately $160 million throughout his stints with Boston, Miami, and Charlotte.
Both Billups and Rozier have been sidelined from their respective teams, with the NBA confirming its cooperation with authorities. Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, asserted that his client is not a habitual gambler and is eager to contest the allegations. Trusty criticized the authorities for their handling of the situation, claiming they sought to publicly shame a professional athlete rather than allowing him to surrender voluntarily.
Rozier was granted release from custody under certain conditions, including surrendering his passport and posting his Florida home as bond. The NBA star is prohibited from gambling and restricted to travel within the continental United States. Prosecutors had initially sought a $10 million bond, but Rozier’s lack of prior criminal record led to a lower amount being set.
In a parallel development, roughly 20 other defendants appeared in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York, where most pleaded not guilty. The poker scheme, according to authorities, swindled unsuspecting gamblers out of at least $7 million by luring them into rigged games featuring former professional basketball players like Billups and Jones. Advanced cheating techniques, such as modified card-shuffling devices and hidden cameras, were allegedly used to manipulate the games.
In relation to the sports betting aspect, Rozier and other defendants are accused of leveraging private information from NBA insiders to influence player performance and place bets accordingly. Authorities claim that Rozier, during his time with the Charlotte Hornets, orchestrated a situation that allowed gamblers to profit from his early exit from a game due to a purported injury.
The indictments also reference several unnamed NBA players whose injury updates were exploited for betting purposes, including LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Damian Lillard. These players, however, are not implicated in any wrongdoing. Rozier had been under previous investigation by the NBA and was present during the Miami Heat’s season opener in Orlando, although he did not participate in the game.