Heat’s Terry Rozier, Trail Blazers’ Chauncey Billups among dozens arrested in gambling probe linked to Mafia

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were among more than 30 people charged in connection with schemes involving illegal sports betting, and rigged poker games backed by the Mafia, according to authorities.  

Billups and Rozier charged in illegal sports betting investigation

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Portland coach Chauncey Billups was charged with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games tied to La Cosa Nostra organized crime families that cheated unsuspecting gamblers out of at least $7 million. Heat guard Terry Rozier was accused in a separate scheme of exploiting private information about players to win bets on NBA games.

The two indictments unsealed in New York create a massive cloud for the NBA — which opened its season this week — and show how certain types of wagers are vulnerable to massive fraud in the growing, multibillion-dollar legal sports-betting industry. 

Billups was charged with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games in Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan and the Hamptons that were backed by La Cosa Nostra Crime families. 

Rozier was accused in a second scheme to create fraudulent bets by exploiting confidential information about NBA athletes and teams.

Hours after his arrest, Rozier appeared in a federal court in Orlando, Florida, wearing a Charlotte Hornets sweatshirt, handcuffs and shackles. Billups appeared before a judge in Portland, Oregon. Both men were ordered released from custody on certain conditions. Billups’ attorney, Chris Heywood, declined to comment after the hearing.

In the sports betting scheme, Rozier and other defendants are accused of accessing private information from NBA players or coaches that could affect a player's performance and giving that information to others so they could place wagers. Players sometimes altered their performance or took themselves out of games early to rig prop bets — a type of wager that allows gamblers to bet on whether a player will exceed a certain statistic, such as a total number of points, rebounds or assists, according to the indictment.

In one instance, Rozier, while playing for the Charlotte Hornets in 2023, told people he was planning to leave the game early with a supposed injury, allowing gamblers to place wagers earning them tens of thousands of dollars, authorities said. That game against the New Orleans Pelicans raised eyebrows at the time. Rozier played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds of the game before leaving, citing a foot issue. He did not play again that season.

Posts still online from March 23, 2023, show that some bettors were furious with sportsbooks that evening when it became evident that Rozier was not going to return to the game after the first quarter, with many turning to social media to say that something "shady" had happened regarding the prop bets involving his stats for that night.

Billups and Rozier have been placed on leave from their teams, according to the NBA.

What they're saying:

Joseph Nocella, the top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York, called it "one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States."

"My message to the defendants who’ve been rounded up today is this: Your winning streak has ended," Nocella said. "Your luck has run out."

Both men face money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges. Also charged was former NBA assistant coach and player Damon Jones, who stands accused of participating in both schemes.

Jim Trusty, Rozier's attorney, released a statement obtained by the Associated Press where Trusty explained that Rozier is "not a gambler" and "looks forward to winning this fight." Trusty said the FBI had previously said his client was not a target in the probe.

But at 6 a.m. "they called to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel," Trusty said. "It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self-surrender they opted for a photo op. 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."

According to the Associated Press, the indictments unsealed in New York create a huge cloud for the NBA and show how certain types of wagers are vulnerable to massive fraud in the growing, multi-billion-dollar legal sports-betting industry.

More than 30 people arrested in gambling probe, FBI Director Patel calls alleged fraud ‘historic’

What they're saying:

The Eastern District of New York and FBI Director Kash Patel spoke during a Thursday morning news conference detailing the scope of the gambling investigation. 

FBI director Kash Patel said that more than 30 people were arrested. "This is an illegal gambling operation and sports rigging operation that spanned years." Patel said, according to FOX 5 New York reporter Meredith Gorman.

"It’s not hundreds of dollars. It’s not thousands of dollars. It’s not tens of thousands of dollars. It’s not even millions of dollars," Patel said. "We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multi-year investigation."

According to the Associated Press, the alleged fraud is historic in terms of money and the deceit used to steal and swindle, including crypto fraud, Patel said.

RELATED: Jontay Porter banned by NBA after gambling investigation reveals he bet on games

The AP reported that the indictments are related to two major cases, one involving sports betting and the second involving rigged poker games, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said at a news conference with Patel. 

In the first case, six defendants are accused of participating in an insider sports betting conspiracy that exploited confidential information about NBA athletes and teams, Nocella said. 

He called it "one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States."

The second case involves 31 defendants in a nationwide scheme to rig illegal poker games, Nocella added. Citing authorities, the AP noted that the defendants include former professional athletes accused of using technology to steal millions of dollars from victims in underground poker games in the New York area that were backed by Mafia families, Nocella stated.

Mafia families profited off gambling scheme, officials say

The poker scheme lured unwitting players into rigged games with the chance to compete against former professional basketball players like Billups and Jones. The games were fixed using sophisticated cheating technology, such as altered card-shuffling machines, hidden cameras in poker chip trays, special sunglasses and even X-ray equipment built into the table to read cards, authorities allege.

The scheme often made use of illegal poker games run by New York crime families that required them to share a portion of their proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonnano crime families, according to court papers. Members of those families, in turn, also helped commit violent acts, including assault, extortion and robbery, to ensure repayment of debts and the continued success of the operation, officials said in court documents.

NBA releases statement

The other side:

The NBA released a statement on the matter Thursday writing: 

"We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today," the league said in its statement. "Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority."

RELATED: NFL suspends 3 players indefinitely, 4th player gets 6 games for gambling policy violation

According to the Associated Press, the gambling case was brought by the same U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn, New York that previously prosecuted ex-NBA player Jontay Porter. 

Porter, a former center for the Toronto Raptors, pleaded guilty to charges that he withdrew early from games, claiming illness or injury, so that those in the know could win big by betting on him to underperform expectations, the AP reported. 

FOX News reported that Rozier did not play during the Miami Heat’s game on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic. 

And Billups was on the sidelines for the Trail Blazers against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Billups is an NBA Hall of Famer, an NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons, and a five-time All-Star who played 17 years in the league.

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