Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is among those charged in an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia, while Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is among several people charged in a separate but related illegal gambling case, authorities announced on Thursday.
Billups coached the Trail Blazers in their season opener on Wednesday night, a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Meanwhile, in what officials described as an “overlapping” case tied to prop betting on NBA games, Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones have been arrested.
Rozier and Jones allegedly passed inside information to four co-defendants, who are accused of passing the information to a network of sports bettors, sources said.
A co-defendant and others allegedly placed $200,000 in wagers, betting Rozier would underperform his statistics.
Authorities announced Thursday that Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is one of several individuals charged in a separate but related illegal gambling case, and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is one of those charged in an illegal poker operation connected to the Mafia.
Advanced technology, including manipulated shuffling machines and even X-ray technology to read cards facing down on the table, was allegedly used to rig the poker games, which featured basketball players to add legitimacy to their authenticity. A. Lawyer Joseph Nocella Jr. said. .
According to officials, games were held in Miami, Las Vegas, Manhattan, and the Hamptons starting in 2019. According to officials, the alleged poker scheme generated up to $7 million in profits “and counting.”. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that the investigation spanned two years.
According to the NYPD, the mob defendants used violence against victims who refused to pay, some of whom lost millions.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the charges at a news conference in Brooklyn, saying, “The fraud is mindboggling.”. Tens of millions of dollars are at stake in cases of robbery, fraud, and theft. “..”.
On Wednesday night, Billups led the Trail Blazers to a defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their season opener. Before he retired in 2014, Billups was a Hall of Fame player who played primarily for the Detroit Pistons. He was named Finals MVP in 2004 and led the Pistons to the NBA championship, earning him five All-Star selections during his 17 years in the league.
The FBI’s New York Field Office assistant director in charge, Christopher Raia, described the 34 defendants as part of a “massive, nationwide takedown” related to two distinct illegal poker and sports betting schemes.
According to authorities, the defendants include 13 Mafia members and associates from the Bonano, Gambino, and Genovese crime families, as well as current and former NBA coaches and players.
The authorities referred to it as a “sprawling criminal enterprise” that deceives unwary gamblers. “.”.
In the meantime, Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones were arrested in what authorities called an “overlapping” case involving prop betting on NBA games.
Four co-defendants are accused of passing on inside information that Rozier and Jones allegedly gave them to a network of sports bettors, according to sources. They allegedly bet with retail betting establishments or online sports books, which forbid betting on secret information.
According to the indictment, Rozier, who was then a member of the Charlotte Hornets, allegedly told a co-defendant that he intended to leave the game early due to a fictitious injury on March 23, 2023. In the ninth minute of the game, he left. According to the allegations, a co-defendant and others bet $200,000 that Rozier would perform worse than his numbers.
“We reached out to these prosecutors a long time ago to tell them we should have an open line of communication,” said James Trusty, Rozier’s attorney, in a statement. Terry was described as a subject rather than a target, but at six in the morning. A. They informed me via phone this morning that FBI agents were attempting to apprehend him at a hotel. “..”.
Instead of relying on concrete proof of misconduct, he added, “They seem to be taking the word of wildly implausible sources. These prosecutors brought that non-case back to life after Terry was cleared by the NBA. Terry doesn’t gamble, but he doesn’t mind a fight, and he wants to win this one. “.
Rozier has played in the NBA for eleven years. Over the course of his 665 games played, he has averaged 13 points per game. Prior to joining the Hornets, he played a significant role in the Boston Celtics’ postseason runs in 2016–19.
Rozier did not play on Wednesday night in Orlando as his team kicked off the 2025 season because of a hamstring injury.
Jones, on the other hand, obtained confidential medical data about specific players through an ad hoc affiliation with the Los Angeles Lakers, which prosecutors claim he then sold to fellow defendants so they could place wagers.
On Feb. Jones is accused of texting a co-conspirator on the night of the Lakers’ game against the Bucks in 2023, saying, “Bet big on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight.”. So that Djones can eat, bet enough. The Lakers ended up losing because the star player in question did not play.
Jones played a supporting role for a number of NBA teams during his 11-year career, most notably the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won the championship in 2016.
Tisch called this probe “Nothing But Bet” and specifically targeted Rozier’s alleged involvement.
Tisch stated, “His career is already benched as the NBA season tips off, not for injury but for integrity.”.
Prosecutors claimed that the NBA assisted with the investigation.
