Inside the FBI’s gambling investigation
According to the Department of Justice, more than 30 individuals were arrested as part of a years-long probe that spanned 11 states, as per a Yahoo Sports report. Among those charged were Billups, Rozier, and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones. Several others, including Eric Earnest, Marves Fairley, Shane Hennen, and Deniro Laster, were also named in the indictment.
Following the arrests, the NBA placed Billups and Rozier on immediate leave, as the league pledged full cooperation with investigators.
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Chauncey Billups’ NBA legacy and sudden downfall
Authorities say Billups and Jones were involved in an underground poker operation with ties to members of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families. According to FBI Director Kash Patel, the operation relied on rigged games that used hidden cameras, marked cards, and even X-ray tables to cheat players out of millions of dollars.
Prosecutors allege Billups’ celebrity status was used to give the games an air of legitimacy. His presence at those games was meant to legitimize them and make “victims believe that they were sitting at a fair table,” said New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, and Billups was reportedly aware of the scam, as per US Attorney Joe Nocella, reported Yahoo Sports.Billups, 49, a Hall of Famer and 2004 NBA champion, spent 17 seasons as a player before turning to coaching. He was hired by Portland in 2021 and has compiled a 177–212 record. Ironically, his arrest came just one night after the Trail Blazers’ season opener, a 118–114 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.ALSO READ: Mark Carney unveils immigration plan to attract workers hit by US visa fee hikes – Here’s what Canadians can expect in federal budget
Terry Rozier’s alleged betting involvement
Meanwhile, Terry Rozier was arrested in a separate illegal sports betting case that reportedly stemmed from a 2022–23 game during his time with the Charlotte Hornets. Federal documents show a bettor placed nearly $14,000 on unders for Rozier’s stats in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans — a bet that hit after Rozier exited early with a foot injury.
Investigators are looking into whether Rozier manipulated his performance as part of a larger betting scheme, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Legal defense and NBPA reaction
Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, condemned the FBI’s handling of the arrest, accusing agents of staging a “photo op.” In a statement to CNN, Trusty said, They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case. They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing,” as quoted by Yahoo Sports.
The NBPA (National Basketball Players Association) also pushed back, criticizing what it called the “misuse” of player names to draw attention. “The integrity of the game is paramount, but so is the presumption of innocence,” the union said in a statement, as quoted in the report.
Wider NBA betting crackdown
This latest round of arrests follows the lifetime ban of Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter, who was found to have leaked confidential information and manipulated his own play for betting purposes.
Authorities revealed that Jones allegedly provided inside information about NBA games to associates who then used that intel to place illegal bets, a direct violation of league rules and federal law.
While former Pistons guard Malik Beasley was previously linked to the same probe, he was not among those arrested, as per the report. According to journalist Pablo Torre, Beasley voluntarily handed over his phone and was cleared in the NBA’s internal review, as per the Yahoo Sports report.
In a statement released shortly after the FBI’s press conference, the NBA said it takes the allegations very seriously and has placed both Billups and Rozier on immediate administrative leave, as per the Yahoo Sports report.
Tiago Splitter named acting head coach for the Blazers
Assistant coach Tiago Splitter will serve as acting head coach for the Trail Blazers while the investigation continues, as per the Yahoo Sports report.
FAQs
Why were Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier arrested?
They were arrested as part of two separate FBI investigations into illegal gambling and betting schemes.
Who will coach the Trail Blazers now?
Assistant coach Tiago Splitter will act as interim head coach while the investigation continues.
The post FBI NBA investigation: Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier among other NBA players arrested for illegal gambling – here’s how they operated appeared first on Veritas News.
