Federal authorities have arrested Chauncey Billups, head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Terry Rozier, guard for the Miami Heat, and Damon Jones, former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach, as part of a sweeping investigation into illegal sports betting and mafia-controlled poker games.
The FBI confirmed the arrests after a years-long probe spanning 11 states and uncovering tens of millions of dollars in illicit activity. According to FBI Director Kash Patel, the case involves members of four major crime families and a network of intermediaries. Patel described the fraud as “staggering in scale,” comparing it to “an insider trading scandal within professional basketball.”
Betting With Insider Information
Court documents allege that Rozier shared non-public NBA information with gamblers in connection with at least seven games between March 2023 and March 2024, involving teams such as the Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Toronto Raptors.
In some cases, players allegedly withdrew from games intentionally to influence outcomes. Rozier is accused of selling confidential details for $100,000 to a childhood acquaintance, who then passed the data to betting syndicates.
Billups and the Rigged Poker Operation
A separate indictment accuses Billups of participating in high-stakes poker sessions orchestrated by organized crime groups. Investigators say the games were rigged using marked cards, hidden cameras, and x-ray poker tables, defrauding players of over $7 million in total. Billups reportedly received $50,000 per event for lending his presence to the games, which were held in Las Vegas and New Jersey.
Federal Charges and NBA Sanctions
Both Billups and Rozier face money laundering and wire fraud charges, each carrying potential 20-year prison sentences. The court has ordered them to surrender their passports and refrain from all gambling-related activities. Billups’ travel has been restricted to Oregon and Colorado, while Rozier is confined within the United States.
The NBA issued a statement shortly after the arrests:
“The integrity of the game is our highest priority. These allegations are extremely serious, and both individuals have been suspended indefinitely.”
Assistant coach Tiago Splitter has been named interim head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Organized Crime Ties and Wider Implications
The FBI believes the network has links to the Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese, and Genovese crime families, with operations extending to college basketball and potential betting on NCAA games. The case also intersects with the Jontay Porter investigation from 2024, in which Porter was banned for game manipulation related to sports betting.
The investigation remains ongoing, with further arrests expected as federal agents continue to unravel the mafia’s reach into professional and collegiate sports.
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