Portland Trail Blazers’ head coach and a Miami Heat player were taken into custody on Thursday alongside over 30 others in connection with two criminal cases involving elaborate schemes to make millions through fixing sports bets and poker games linked to Mafia groups, authorities disclosed.
Chauncey Billups, the coach of Portland, was accused of participating in a plot to manipulate high-stakes card games in various locations, including Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan, and the Hamptons, which had ties to organized crime families. Terry Rozier, a guard for the Heat, was implicated in a separate scheme aimed at creating deceitful bets by leveraging insider knowledge about NBA players.
The unveiled indictments in New York cast a shadow over the NBA, which kicked off its season recently, highlighting the susceptibility of certain types of bets to substantial fraud in the burgeoning multi-billion-dollar legal sports betting sector. Joseph Nocella, the lead federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York, labeled it as “one of the most audacious sports corruption schemes since the widespread legalization of online sports betting in the United States.”
Nocella addressed the defendants apprehended, stating, “Your winning streak has come to an end. Your fortune has dried up.”
Both individuals are facing charges of money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy and were slated to appear in court later on Thursday. Damon Jones, a former NBA assistant coach and player, is also among those charged for involvement in both illicit operations.
FBI director Kash Patel expressed, “The extent of the fraud is staggering. We are looking at tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent activities and theft over a multi-year investigation.”
Despite the alleged fraud, the earnings of the athletes on the court far exceeded the illicit gains. Billups, a recent Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, amassed around $106 million in career earnings over 17 years, while Rozier acquired approximately $160 million during his tenures in Boston, Miami, and Charlotte.
Both Billups and Rozier have been placed on leave by their respective teams as the NBA reiterated its commitment to cooperating with the authorities, emphasizing the significance of upholding the game’s integrity.
Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, refuted the gambling allegations against his client, affirming that Rozier is not a gambler and is prepared to defend himself. Trusty criticized the authorities for their handling of the situation, accusing them of seeking undue attention by arresting a professional athlete publicly.
Moreover, Rozier’s release conditions include refraining from contact with any individuals named in the indictment and surrendering his passport, with the federal magistrate judge stipulating that his Florida home be put up as bond.
Around 20 other defendants appeared in a federal court in Brooklyn, with most pleading not guilty. The poker scheme, according to authorities, defrauded unsuspecting gamblers of at least $7 million through rigged games and involved collaborations with various Mafia families.
The indictments also shed light on the sports betting scheme, implicating Rozier and others in the misuse of private information to influence wagers. The accusations include instances where players manipulated their performance to influence prop bets, resulting in substantial gains for the conspirators.
The NBA previously probed Rozier, who was present but did not play in the Heat’s season opener against the Orlando Magic, where he was in uniform.