Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested on Thursday alongside more than 30 others in a sweeping federal crackdown on two large-scale gambling operations allegedly tied to Mafia families. Authorities say the schemes involved insider NBA information and rigged poker games that defrauded victims of millions.
Billups was charged with conspiracy to fix high-stakes poker games linked to La Cosa Nostra crime families, reportedly cheating unsuspecting gamblers out of more than $7 million. Rozier, meanwhile, faces accusations of exploiting private player information to gain an edge in sports betting.
The two separate indictments, unsealed in New York, have cast a major shadow over the NBA’s opening week. Joseph Nocella, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, described it as “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.”
“My message to the defendants who’ve been rounded up today is this: Your winning streak has ended,” Nocella said. “Your luck has run out.”
Both Billups and Rozier face money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges. Also charged was former NBA assistant coach and player Damon Jones, accused of participating in both operations.
“The fraud is mind boggling,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multiyear investigation.”
According to prosecutors, the poker games were rigged using sophisticated technology such as modified card shuffling machines, hidden cameras, and X-ray equipment built into tables. These games were allegedly connected to illegal operations run by New York crime families, who shared proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese, and Bonanno families.
In the sports betting scheme, Rozier and others are accused of leaking confidential information about players’ availability to manipulate wagers. Prosecutors say that in one 2023 game, Rozier informed associates that he would leave early due to a “foot injury,” allowing gamblers to profit tens of thousands of dollars on prop bets.
The NBA confirmed that both men have been placed on leave. “We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the league said in a statement.
Billups appeared in court in Oregon and was released under conditions. His attorney, Chris Heywood, defended him as “a man of integrity.” “To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall-of-Fame legacy, his reputation and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game,” Heywood said.
Rozier appeared in a federal court in Florida wearing a Charlotte Hornets sweatshirt and shackles. His lawyer, Jim Trusty, said his client “is not a gambler” and “looks forward to winning this fight.” He also criticised officials for not allowing a voluntary surrender, accusing them of seeking “the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk.”
The investigation, which spanned several years, also identified unnamed NBA players whose injury statuses were used for betting purposes. These players, including LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard, are not accused of wrongdoing.
Authorities said many of the Mafia-linked defendants face additional charges of extortion, robbery, and violent enforcement of gambling debts. Most pleaded not guilty during arraignments in Brooklyn federal court.
The scandal marks one of the most serious threats to the NBA’s credibility in the modern era of legalised sports betting, exposing the vulnerabilities of a rapidly expanding industry now worth billions.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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