Federal prosecutors have shared new particulars about what they are saying was a nationwide playing ring involving NBA figures Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones. In a detention letter filed in federal courtroom, they describe superior dishonest know-how, the usage of former NBA professional athletes to attract in victims, actual time teaching throughout video games, and a cash path that allegedly despatched $50,000 to Billups after a rigged poker recreation in 2020.
FBI Director Kash Patel introduced the costs throughout an October 23 information convention in New York, calling the arrests “historic” and tying the operation to La Cosa Nostra. United States Legal professional Joseph Nocella stated the conduct amounted to “probably the most brazen sports activities corruption schemes since on-line sports activities betting turned broadly legalized,” alleging that confidential NBA info was misused and that victims misplaced tens of millions in mounted poker video games.
NBA stars’ alleged position in rigged poker video games and high-tech dishonest
In line with the detention letter, as reviewed by ReadWrite, the playing scheme relied on a variety of hidden applied sciences. In addition to altered shuffling machines and X-ray poker tables, prosecutors stated the conspirators additionally used a poker chip tray analyzer that secretly learn playing cards with hidden cameras.
The modified machines have been designed to learn playing cards in actual time and ship that info to operators who weren’t on web site. The letter says the shufflers have been altered to “learn the playing cards within the deck, predict which participant on the desk had the most effective poker hand, and relay that info by way of interstate wires to an off web site operator.” The operator would then message a participant on the desk often known as the Quarterback, who would sign the remainder of the dishonest staff.
‘Sign guide’ for real-time dishonest
One poker recreation in Miami in September 2024 even got here with a transparent checklist of bodily indicators that was shared beforehand.
Because the doc explains: “For instance, the above textual content message indicated that if defendant RENZULLI (Mikey) had the most effective hand, the Quarterback (on this case, MAZZOLA) would contact the 1,000 poker chip; if defendant ALVAREZ (G) had the most effective hand, the Quarterback would faucet his chin; if defendant MAZZOLA (Mazz) had the most effective hand, he would faucet his wrist or arm. If the sufferer had the most effective hand, the Quarterback would contact his black chips, wherein case the conspirators would fold to keep away from shedding cash to the sufferer.”
Face Playing cards
The federal government says former NBA gamers have been introduced in to assist lure rich victims into these video games. In line with the letter, “BILLUPS and JONES, specifically, served as Face Playing cards, which means they have been utilized to draw victims to the video games due to their standing as former skilled athletes.”
Alleged wire path to Chauncey Billups
Prosecutors additionally laid out a cash path they are saying adopted a 2020 recreation that concerned Billups. They wrote: “Following one other rigged recreation in late October 2020 wherein BILLUPS participated, financial institution information present that STROUD (by means of his firm Lil Robbie Productions LLC) wired WEI 50,000 {dollars}, who, in flip, wired the 50,000 {dollars} on to BILLUPS.”
Assertion from Chauncey Billups' legal professional to ESPN, making clear that Billups, like Terry Rozier, will battle the FBI's prices: pic.twitter.com/YCugGaXiiZ
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 24, 2025
In a press release despatched to ESPN, Chris Heywood, an legal professional for Billups, harassed that Billups would by no means “cheat and defraud others.”
“Anybody who is aware of Chauncey Billups is aware of he’s a person of integrity; males of integrity don’t cheat and defraud others.
“To consider that Chauncey Billups did what the federal authorities is accusing him of is to consider that he would threat his hall-of-fame legacy, his repute, and his freedom. He wouldn’t jeopardize these issues for something, not to mention a card recreation.
“Moreover, Chauncey Billups has by no means and would by no means gamble on basketball video games, present insider info, or sacrifice the belief of his staff and the League, as it might tarnish the sport he has devoted his complete life to.
“Chauncey Billups has by no means backed down. He doesn’t plan to take action now. He’ll battle these allegations with the identical tenacity that marked his 28-year profession. We sit up for our day in courtroom.”
Claims about Damon Jones’ position
Damon Jones, one other former NBA participant, is portrayed as each a recruiter and an lively cheater. Prosecutors say that earlier than a rigged recreation in East Hampton, “defendant JONES requested STROUD for fee even earlier than the sport began… STROUD despatched 2,500 {dollars} to JONES by way of Zelle the identical day.”
A number of days later, throughout the identical stretch of video games, Jones was getting directions whereas he performed. The doc says: “Messages present that defendant GOODSON (Tony in Macon) coached JONES in actual time on find out how to cheat by instructing him to concentrate to defendants AWAWDEH (whom he likened to NBA All Star Stephen Steph Curry) and GARZON (whom he in comparison with NBA All Star Lebron Bron James), and, in case of doubt, to fold his hand.” Jones responded: “yall know I do know what Im doing!!”
The detention letter additionally hyperlinks the operation to the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime households. Prosecutors wrote that a number of of the places used for poker video games have been already recognized to be related to organized crime teams and that these teams “took a proportion of the prison proceeds” from the rigged video games.
In line with Nocella, the operation started in 2019 and spanned places from the Hamptons to Las Vegas, Miami, and Manhattan. He stated the NBA is cooperating with the investigation.
ReadWrite has contacted the authorized representatives for Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones for remark.
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