NBA Athletes and Coach Arrested for Alleged Ties to Illegal Poker & Insider Betting

Three high-profile NBA athletes have been charged for alleged ties with a Mafia-organized poker ring and insider betting. The charges have named NBA Hall of Famer and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and ex-athlete Damon Jones as potential culprits, leading to their arrests.

These arrests are part of “Operation Nothing But Bet” and “Operation Zen Diagram,” according to officials.

Billups Is Suspected of Ties to a Mafia-Operated Poker Scheme

As part of sweeping anti-illegal gambling operations, the US government has arrested several people, including Billups and Rozier. According to the information available as of the time of this writing, Billups, together with former NBA athlete Damon Jones, was allegedly employed as the faces of an illegal poker operation. As such, they allegedly channeled high rollers toward a Mafia-organized poker ring.

The presence of famous athletes allegedly helped mobsters attract high rollers who wished to play alongside sports stars. However, they were essentially wasting their money as the poker scheme was reportedly associated with severe instances of fraud, where organizers employed rigged card shufflers and special glasses or lenses to gain an advantage. Victims were unaware of the fact that their opponents were in cahoots and that they had no realistic chances of winning, attorneys said.

The poker ring is believed to have been tied to four notorious Mafia families, including Bonanno, Genovese, Lucchese and Gambino La Cosa Nostra.

Billups was arrested in Oregon this Thursday, just after coaching the Trail Blazers for the season start. A total of 31 people have been arrested as part of that case.

Rozier Is Said to Have Provided Insider Info to Bettors

In the meantime, Rozier is believed to have participated in an illegal sports betting ring featuring several other people, where participants used insider information to place advantaged bets on a variety of games. Knowledge of player injuries and illnesses helped them capitalize on lucrative wagers, the complaint says.

The Miami Heat guard was accused of leaking important insider information to facilitate others’ bets. Jones was named in this case as well, reports show. He is believed to have shared insider information about a LeBron James injury, allowing other ring members to win their bets.

According to the prosecution, the fraudulent money was then laundered via cash transactions and peer-to-peer platforms.

This is not the first time Rozier has been investigated, either, as he was previously probed due to suspicious betting activity during his time with the Charlotte Hornets. For reference, that probe discovered no evidence of a violation.