Dozens of people, including former and current NBA players and a coach, have been charged in connection with two investigations into an alleged widespread sports betting scheme and organized crime ring, the FBI and federal prosecutors announced Thursday.
Among those arrested today are Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Terry RozierBillups, a former star guard who played for several NBA teams., was arrested in Portland, and Rozier was arrested in Orlando.
Former NBA player Damon Jones was also arrested in connection with the sports betting investigation.
The arrests are related to two federal criminal cases. One of them involved a bookmaking operation involving former and current NBA players, including some who allegedly faked injuries. Another case involves illegal high-stakes poker games involving coaches and organized crime. Three people, including Jones, were arrested in both schemes, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Thirty-one people have been charged in the second case, with some of the defendants being members of organized crime groups known to law enforcement.
Rozier was arrested in the first case, and Billups in the second.
FBI Director Kash Patel called the arrests “extraordinary,” saying they were the result of a “coordinated arrest across 11 states.”
“Not only have we uncovered the fraud that these criminals committed on the NBA's main stage, but we have also buried and carried out the justice system against La Casa Nostra to include the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese and Lucea crime families,” Patel said.
Joseph Nocella, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said the defendants allegedly used “a variety of very sophisticated cheating technologies,” including self-shuffling machines that were secretly modified to read cards in a deck and predict which players at the table had the best poker hand, which were then allegedly sent to a remote operator. The outside operator then allegedly sent the information via cell phone to an associate at the desk known as the defense attorney. The defender then allegedly secretly relayed this information to others around the table, and together they used this information to win games.
Nocella said the investigation does not involve college basketball and added that the investigation is still ongoing.
The defendants allegedly touted their earnings, including through cash exchanges, numerous shell companies and cryptocurrency transfers as part of the scheme, Nocella said.
The NBA did not immediately comment on the situation.
This is not the first high-profile incident involving alleged illegal betting and the NBA. Earlier this year, former NBA player Gilbert Arenas was arrested in a separate case. arrested for allegedly running an illegal gambling and poker ring out of a home he owned in California.
