A sprawling federal indictment has peeled back the curtain on a truly stunning gambling operation, revealing a conspiracy that allegedly combined National Basketball Association (NBA) star power, the brutal enforcement of the Mafia, and a cache of high-tech cheating equipment straight out of a Hollywood heist movie. Prosecutors have described the multi-million-dollar scheme as “mind-boggling,” a financial pipeline that used deception and gadgetry to fleece unsuspecting high-rollers.
The High-Tech Heist at the Poker Table
The core of the alleged fraud centers on underground, high-stakes poker games across the U.S.—from New York to Las Vegas—where wealthy victims, known to the operators as “fish,” were lured in with the promise of rubbing shoulders with celebrity “face cards.” These ‘face cards’ allegedly included Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones.
Unbeknownst to the targets, the games were meticulously rigged using sophisticated technology:
- X-Ray Tables: Some tables were reportedly fitted with X-ray technology that could read face-down cards, providing the conspirators with perfect knowledge of the victims’ hands.
- High-Tech Glasses: Players on the inside allegedly wore specially designed contact lenses or glasses capable of reading pre-marked cards, giving them an unprecedented advantage.
- Rigged Shuffling Machines: Authorities claim that automatic shuffling machines were tampered with to scan the deck, determine the exact order of the cards, and wirelessly transmit this information to an off-site operator. This operator would then relay the winning-hand information back to a co-conspirator at the table, who would communicate it to the team using subtle, pre-arranged signals, like touching specific poker chips.
The cheating technology, also including cameras built into chip trays, allowed the ring to consistently siphon off huge sums, defrauding victims of at least $7 million.
NBA Figures and Mob Ties
The investigation, which has resulted in the arrest of over 30 individuals, draws a stark connection between professional basketball and notorious organized crime. Members and associates of multiple New York Mafia families—including the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families—allegedly backed the poker operation, taking a cut of the winnings and providing “muscle” to intimidate or physically threaten debtors to ensure repayment.
The roles of the high-profile NBA figures were critical:
- Chauncey Billups is accused of participating in the rigged poker games as a “face card,” lending a veneer of legitimacy and celebrity appeal to attract victims.
- Damon Jones is charged with acting as both a “face card” in the poker scheme and a key figure in a separate, related sports betting plot.
The Insider Betting Ring
The indictment also unsealed allegations of a separate, but connected, wire fraud scheme focused on manipulating bets on NBA games using insider information.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is among those charged in this scheme. Prosecutors allege that players or coaches, including Rozier, would pass on non-public, confidential information about player injuries or availability to a network of professional bettors. One key example cited is an incident involving Rozier, then with the Charlotte Hornets, who allegedly informed co-conspirators of his plan to leave a 2023 game early due to a fabricated injury. This allowed the bettors to place large wagers on his low statistical output, netting significant profits.
The sheer audacity and technological sophistication of the fraud have placed the integrity of one of the world’s most prominent sports leagues into serious question. Both Billups and Rozier have been placed on immediate leave by the NBA as the league cooperates fully with the federal investigation, which FBI Director Kash Patel noted is “reminiscent of a Hollywood movie.” The charges now cast a dark shadow over the start of the NBA season, with athletes facing serious charges of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.