BBCCelebrities, professional sports stars and wealthy gamblers sat at the table in hopes of winning big at Texas Hold'em.
But they didn't know that it was practically impossible. These were the “fish” allegedly targeted by the Mafia in an elaborate poker gambling scheme that included x-ray card tables, secret cameras, analyzers in chip trays, sunglasses and contact lenses that could read their hands.
In a plot similar to that of the film Ocean's Eleven, prosecutors allege these “unwitting” victims were cheated out of at least $7 million (£5.25 million) in poker games, with one man losing at least $1.8 million (£1.35 million).
The scheme, which the U.S. Attorney's Office called “reminiscent of a Hollywood movie,” was uncovered in an extensive federal investigation that resulted in the arrests of more than 30 people, including members of the La Costra Nostra crime family, Portland Trail Blazers basketball coach Chauncey Billups and former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Damon Jones.
FBI Director Cash Patel called it a “staggering” fraud scheme that defrauded victims in New York, Miami, Las Vegas and other US cities.
Arrests related to the scheme were announced Thursday, as well as arrests related to an alleged basketball betting conspiracy in which professional NBA players are accused of faking injuries to influence betting odds.
According to prosecutors, the underground poker scheme began back in 2019 and was allegedly run by the Mafia, specifically members of notorious crime families including the Bonnano, Gambino, Luchesse and Genovese. Some of the profits, prosecutors say, helped finance their criminal activities.
Former professional athletes, described by prosecutors as “face cards,” were recruited to participate in the scheme and induce victims to gamble.
Lured by the opportunity to play with a well-known celebrity such as Billups or Jones, the wealthy “unsuspecting victim” was recruited to play illegal underground poker games with tens of thousands of dollars at stake, prosecutors allege.
Unbeknownst to the lured players, called “fish” in the scheme, everyone around them was in on an elaborate scam – from the players to the dealers, even the technology used to shuffle the deck and count the chips, according to a lengthy federal indictment.
Sophisticated wireless technology has also been used to deceive players during games, most commonly Texas Hold'em.
US Department of JusticeTechnology was everywhere: an x-ray table that read any card face down, analyzers inside chip trays, a specially equipped card shuffling machine that read the cards and predicted who would have the best hand, and pre-marked cards that allowed those wearing special sunglasses and contact lenses to read what everyone had in their hands.
Secret cameras built into tables and light fixtures also helped relay information to those involved in the plot, authorities said.
Then there was a sophisticated method of communicating and rigging the game, prosecutors say.
Information from the game would be sent to an off-court conspirator, referred to by prosecutors as an “operator,” who would then send the information to another player sitting at the table and involved in the scheme, referred to by prosecutors as a “defender” or “driver.”
US Department of JusticeThe man then secretly signaled others, prosecutors say, effectively stealing money and making it impossible for victims to win.
Authorities estimate that each game will leave the victim tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Prosecutors say the defendants allegedly laundered funds from the scheme through cryptocurrency exchanges, exchanges and front companies.
Prosecutors said some of the profits went to those who helped in the conspiracy, and some allegedly went to fund the Mafia's criminal enterprise.
“This alleged scheme wreaked havoc across the country, using the notoriety of some and the wallets of others to fund Italian crime families,” said FBI Deputy Director in Charge Christopher Raia.
Billups, who was accused of being a figurative card in fixed card games, was arrested in Portland and placed on leave by the NBA. The Portland Trail Blazers said in a statement that they are aware of the allegations against their head coach and are “fully cooperating with the investigation.”
Jones was arrested on suspicion of poker and NBA injuries. He is charged with two counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
