By Itoro N. Umontuen
BLACKPRESSUSA Newswire – One suspicion relating to unlawful sports activities betting and one other relating to unlawful playing operations, plus rigged poker video games has yielded a take down of 34 folks, together with a present NBA participant, a present NBA head coach, and a former NBA participant.
Credit score: AP Photograph/Jenny Kane
Amongst these charged and arrested Oct. 23 are Miami Warmth guard Terry Rozier, Portland Path Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and former Cleveland Cavaliers participant and coach Damon Jones. The sweeping investigation connects the trio to a community allegedly linked to La Cosa Nostra, one of the infamous Mafia organizations within the U.S.
In line with federal indictments from the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace within the Japanese District of New York, the operation concerned each unlawful sports activities betting and rigged poker video games, implicating members of the Bonano, Gambino, Luchese and Genovese crime households.
After the indictment was unsealed, Billups and Rozier had been positioned on indefinite go away by the NBA.
“We’re within the technique of reviewing the federal indictments introduced immediately,” the NBA mentioned in an announcement. “Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being positioned on speedy go away from their groups, and we’ll proceed to cooperate with the related authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our recreation stays our high precedence.”
Terry Rozier’s alleged position within the scheme
Prosecutors declare Terry Rozier, 31, deliberately eliminated himself from a 2023 NBA recreation so an affiliate may place a profitable wager. Between December 2022 and March 2024, Rozier and Jones allegedly exploited confidential insider details about participant availability, accidents and relaxation schedules to position profitable bets.
This data, shared by way of Rozier’s affiliate Deniro “Niro” Laster, allegedly led to greater than $250,000 in profitable prop bets, prosecutors say.
The fees echo the latest case of former Toronto Raptors ahead Johntay Porter, who pleaded responsible in 2024 to fixing his personal stats to revenue from prop bets. Rozier was arrested in Orlando, Fla., and now faces two felony counts — conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit cash laundering. Every cost carries a possible 20-year jail sentence.
Damon Jones’s alleged position within the scheme
Damon Jones, 49, is accused of leveraging his NBA relationships to assemble inside data for gamblers. The indictment describes him as a former teammate and coach of an unnamed “Participant 3” throughout the 2022–2023 season — later confirmed by ESPN’s Shams Charania to reference LeBron James.
Authorities declare Jones offered confidential crew data to skilled gamblers, immediately contributing to the multi-million-dollar betting scheme.
“With the alleged involvement of three La Cosa Nostra crime households, an NBA head coach and Corridor of Famer, in addition to different present and former skilled athletes, the investigative work that culminated with this morning’s operation is harking back to a Hollywood film. However this was not luck, and it was not theatrics,” said HSI New York Particular Agent in Cost Kash Patel.
Why is ‘Mr. Huge Shot’ in it?
Chauncey Billups, 49, was arrested at his residence on the morning of Oct. 23, a day after teaching the Path Blazers’ season opener towards the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Corridor of Famer faces fees of wire fraud conspiracy and cash laundering conspiracy for allegedly collaborating in rigged high-stakes poker video games related to Mafia-backed card rings.
Prosecutors allege Billups and co-conspirators cheated victims out of at the least $7 million by way of manipulated video games tied to a number of New York crime households.
Billups appeared in court docket on Oct. 23 on the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland, the place he was launched on his personal recognizance below the situation that he stay inside Oregon and Colorado.
What occurs subsequent?
Rozier will put his residence up on the market for collateral. Each Billups and Rozier have surrendered their United States passports. Their respective careers are on maintain pending the result of their investigations.
“Over 4 years in the past, HSI New York uncovered the operation and labored tirelessly with HSI Newark, the FBI, the New York Waterfront Fee, and the NYPD to show crimes that defrauded victims of at the least $7 million {dollars} and included violent robberies,” Patel continued. “I commend all businesses and personnel concerned in immediately’s sweeping arrests, which ought to function a testomony to our relentless, evidence-driven and unified effort.”
