Current Portland Trailblazer coach and former NBA player Chauncey Billups and Miami heat guard Terry Rozier have been arrested by the FBI in two separate operations involving sports betting and rigged poker games.
Former player and coach Damon Jones is also involved.
FBI director Kash Patel, in addition to other special agents, spoke about the arrests.
“This is an illegal gambling operation and sports rigging operation that spanned the course of years,” Patel began. “The FBI lead a coordinated takedown across 11 states to arrest over 30 individuals responsible for this case, which is very much ongoing. Not only did we crack into the fraud that these perpetrators committed on the grand stage of the NBA, but we also entered and executed a system of justice across La Cosa Nostra,” referencing the Italian-American mafia out of New York City.
“The scheme targeted victims known as ‘fish,'” an agent alleged, who were enticed to play against former professional athletes, known as “face cards,” including Billups.
Victims were “fleeced” of millions, officials alleged, claiming five Italian mob families in New York City are involved.
The FBI alleges that Rozier let friends know he would be leaving a Charlotte Hornets game with a “supposed injury” in March 2023, allowing the sports betters to cash in, being paid out in tens of thousands of dollars.
This is a developing story. Check back later for more updates.
