Nba’s Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier Indicted In Mob-linked Gambling Investigation

In an announcement that rocked nan NBA, national authorities connected Thursday unveiled indictments and arrests arsenic portion of what FBI head Kash Patel called “a wide-sweeping criminal endeavor that envelops some nan NBA and La Cosa Nostra.” Among nan accused: Basketball Hall of Famer and existent Portland Trail Blazers caput coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat defender Terry Rozier and erstwhile NBA subordinate and adjunct coach Damon Jones.

U.S. Attorneys successful nan Eastern District of New York and Patel announced nan indictments astatine a news convention successful Brooklyn. More than a twelve U.S. authorities officials huddled astir nan podium nether fluorescent lights pinch hands clasped, arsenic Patel and others touted their investigations: “Operation Royal Flush,” and “Operation Nothing But Bet.”

There are 2 abstracted but related cases. 

One lawsuit involves capacity rigging and sharing of wrong accusation successful NBA games. Rozier and Jones were implicated successful that case. Billups was not. 

According to New York City constabulary commissioner Jessica Tisch, earlier a March 23, 2023, crippled betwixt Rozier’s Charlotte Hornets and nan New Orleans Pelicans, Rozier “allegedly fto others adjacent to him cognize that he planned to time off nan crippled early pinch a expected injury. Using that information, members of nan group placed much than $200,000 successful wagers connected his ‘under’ statistics.”

Rozier, who started nan game, played only 9 minutes, 34 seconds.

The allegation against Rozier is virtually nan aforesaid arsenic what former Toronto Raptors subordinate Jontay Porter admitted to doing successful tribunal past year. Porter pleaded blameworthy to conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud aft rigging his ain capacity to guarantee nan nether connected prop bets would win. Porter said during his plea proceeding that he did it “in bid to get retired from nether ample gambling debts accumulated complete time.”

Joseph Nocella Jr., interim U.S. Attorney for nan Eastern District of New York, said nan defendants successful that case, which see Jones and Rozier, “also misused accusation obtained done long-standing friendships that they had pinch NBA players and coaches.”

The 2nd lawsuit involves rigged poker games. According to Patel and nan Justice Department, 4 of nan New York mafia’s 5 families were progressive successful nan scheme: nan Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese families. They opportunity nan perpetrators utilized poker spot tray analyzers, typical interaction lenses aliases eyeglasses, and an X-ray array to dupe players retired of hundreds of thousands of dollars—and that Billups and Jones were successful connected nan scheme.

Trail Blazers caput coach Chauncey Billups is accused of being successful connected a strategy to rig poker games. / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

For Billups successful particular, this is simply a stunning move of events. Besides being a Basketball Hall of Famer and nan 2004 NBA Finals MVP, Billups was 1 of nan astir celebrated players of his era among chap players. When nan convention created nan Twyman–Stokes Teammate of nan Year grant successful 2013, Billups was nan inaugural winner. Billups is successful his 5th play arsenic coach of nan Trail Blazers.

Jones revenge for bankruptcy successful 2013 and ’15, according to tribunal documents. He past played successful nan NBA successful ’09 and was an adjunct coach of nan Cleveland Cavaliers from 2016 to ’18.

Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, released this connection aft nan news conference:

“We person represented Terry Rozier for complete a year. A agelong clip agone we reached retired to these prosecutors to show them we should person an unfastened statement of communication. They characterized Terry arsenic a subject, not a target, but astatine 6 a.m. this greeting they called to show maine FBI agents were trying to apprehension him successful a hotel. It is unfortunate that alternatively of allowing him to aforesaid surrender they opted for a photograph op. They wanted nan misplaced glory of embarrassing a master jock pinch a perp walk. That tells you a batch astir nan motivations successful this case. They look to beryllium taking nan connection of spectacularly in-credible sources alternatively than relying connected existent grounds of wrongdoing. Terry was cleared by nan NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not acrophobic of a fight, and he looks guardant to winning this fight.”

Sports Illustrated did not instantly scope representatives for Billups aliases Jones.

The NBA said Billups and Rozier were “placed connected contiguous time off from their teams” and nan convention is cooperating pinch authorities. 

Authorities said they will besides charge, among others, Shane Hennen and Marves Fairley. Hennen was arrested successful January and has been negotiating a plea deal. SI reported successful February that Fairley’s sanction has travel up repeatedly successful nan investigation arsenic a imaginable co-conspirator, but authorities had not publically named him until Thursday.

 Nocella pointed retired that nan indictments and arrests announced Thursday did not impact assemblage basketball. A abstracted case, nether nan jurisdiction of nan Eastern District of Pennsylvania, has been spearheading nan probe connected nan assemblage level. The NCAA besides has been investigating what it position “integrity cases” successful men’s assemblage basketball, wherever performances were allegedly altered for gambling purposes.

In September, the NCAA announced that it was pursuing infractions cases against 13 players from six schools: Eastern Michigan, Temple, Arizona State, New Orleans, North Carolina A&T and Mississippi Valley State. The NCAA besides announced that “additional cases are successful various stages of nan investigation process.” Athletes who played for nan named schools are connected to nan gambling ring, aggregate sources show SI. Players from astatine slightest different half-dozen schools could beryllium implicated, pinch much accusation being uncovered arsenic inquiries continue. The mostly of implicated programs are astatine nan mid-major and low-major level of Division I basketball.

Most of nan players progressive successful nan assemblage ungraded person concluded their eligibility, but others who are still progressive players are nether investigation, sources say. The assemblage hoops play originates Nov. 3.

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