The FBI announced Thursday morning the indictment of several “made” members and associates of La Cosa Nostra, along with three NBA figures, who were involved in illegal gambling operations costing millions of dollars.
The indictment consists of a total of 31 defendants, and concerns two different schemes: one of rigged poker games, the other of sharing confidential NBA game information with bettors.
Former NBA point guard and head coach of the Portland Trailblazers, Chauncey Billups, was arrested along with former player Damon Jones and current player with the Miami Heat, Terry Rozier.
Billups and Jones were part of a scheme that tricked guileless poker players into playing a rigged game unbeknownst to them. The rigging of these games was conducted with sophisticated technology.
“Victims of the Rigger Poker Scheme,” the indictment states, “believed they were participating in ‘straight’ illegal poker games and that they were gambling against other participants on equal footing. In reality, however, the defendants and their co-conspirators, who constituted the remaining participants purportedly playing in the poker games, worked together on cheating teams (collectively, the ‘Cheating Teams’) that used advanced wireless technologies to read the cards dealt in each poker hand and relay that information to the defendants and coconspirators participating in the illegal poker games.”
“The defendants and their co-conspirators then bet accordingly to ensure that the unsuspecting Victims lost money. Through the Rigged Poker Scheme, the defendants and their co-conspirators defrauded Victims of millions of dollars,” the indictment revealed.
The FBI uses the term “Face Cards” to describe the role of Billups and Jones. Face Cards are popular figures who may attract “victims” to participate in games while still being in on the scheme of defrauding the player of their money through the cheated game.
Billups, who retired from playing in 2014, was not yet an NBA coach during the scheme, according to US Attorney Joseph Nocella.
Concerning the other scheme centered around illegal betting, Terry Rozier and other defendants were charged with “wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for their alleged roles in a scheme to use inside information from National Basketball Association (NBA) players and coaches to profit from illegal betting activity.”
“This was a sophisticated conspiracy involving athletes, coaches, and intermediaries who exploited confidential information for profit,” Attorney Nocella said. “Insider betting schemes erode the integrity of American sports, and this Office will continue in its strong tradition of holding accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt sports through illegal means.”
Over a series of five games, Rozier gave insider information to bettors and others. He also faked injuries and exited games early on behalf of his betting agenda.
The Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese, and Genovese crime families were each involved in the illegal poker schemes. Rozier and Billups have been placed on immediate leave by the NBA, which has ensured the FBI its full cooperation amid the investigation.
During a press conference announcing the indictments, FBI Director Kash Patel gave a message to US professional sporting leagues when faced with the question if they have anything to worry about concerning sports gambling.
“Simple,” Patel said, “if you’re participating in a legal gambling industry, you’ve got nothing to worry about. If you’re participating in illegal conduct, you’ve got everything to worry about. And this case shows it.”
