Federal prosecutors and the FBI announced charges Thursday against dozens of people — including NBA coach Chauncey Billups and player Terry Rozier — in two investigations involving an alleged sports betting ring and organized crime network. Billups, arrested in Portland, and Rozier, arrested in Orlando, have been placed on leave as the NBA cooperates with authorities. One case centers on players accused of sharing insider information and faking injuries for profit; the other involves illegal poker games linked to organized crime. Former NBA player Damon Jones was charged in both cases. FBI Director Kash Patel said the arrests spanned 11 states and include charges like wire fraud, money laundering, and illegal gambling. Prosecutors allege the poker games used rigged card machines to cheat players out of over $7 million. In the betting case, Rozier and others allegedly used private team info to place high-value bets between 2022 and 2024. In one 2023 game, Rozier reportedly planned to leave early with a fake injury, helping the group win large sums. Jones allegedly sold insider injury details about a top player, believed to be LeBron James. Billups is accused of helping defraud victims of over $50,000 but was released after a brief court appearance. Both schemes allegedly involved laundering profits through shell companies and cryptocurrency. Attorneys for Billups and Rozier denied the allegations, calling them false and publicity-driven. Officials said the investigation is ongoing but does not involve college basketball.
00:00Federal prosecutors and the FBI announced Thursday that dozens of people, including current and former NBA players and a coach, have been charged in two major investigations into an alleged sports betting ring and organized crime network.
00:15Among those arrested were Portland Trailblazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.
00:23Billups, a Hall of Famer, was arrested in Portland, while Rozier was taken into custody in Orlando.
00:30Both have been placed on leave as the NBA cooperates with authorities.
00:36One case involves players accused of sharing insider information or faking injuries to profit from sports bets.
00:43The other centers on illegal high-stakes poker games allegedly tied to organized crime.
00:49Former NBA player Damon Jones was charged in both cases.
00:54FBI Director Kash Patel said the arrests spanned 11 states and involved charges including wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, and illegal gambling, calling the takedown a major strike against NBA corruption and crime families like the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese groups.
01:15U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella said the poker scheme used altered card-shuffling machines to predict winning hands, information that was secretly passed to players to cheat victims out of more than $7 million.
01:29In the sports betting case, Rozier and others allegedly used non-public injury and player availability info to place lucrative prop bets between 2022 and 2024.
01:43In one 2023 game, Rozier supposedly told an associate he'd leave early with a fake injury, leading to large winning bets.
01:54Damon Jones allegedly sold private injury details about a prominent NBA player, believed to be LeBron James.
02:02Rozier's lawyer denied wrongdoing, accusing prosecutors of seeking publicity.
02:07Billups, released after a brief court appearance, is accused of defrauding victims of over $50,000 in the poker scheme.
02:17Prosecutors say both cases involved laundering money through shell companies, crypto, and cash.
02:24Billups' attorney dismissed the allegations as absurd, saying he would never risk his Hall of Fame legacy for a card game.
02:32Officials said the investigation is ongoing, but does not involve college basketball.
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