New York, 24 October (H.S.): In a major operation that rocked the world of professional sports, FBI agents on Thursday arrested dozens of individuals, including Miami Heat player Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, in connection with two separate but sprawling illegal gambling enterprises.
Federal prosecutors unveiled indictments detailing a brazen sports betting scheme involving manipulated NBA games and a sophisticated, high-stakes poker ring run by New York’s most notorious crime families.
The first indictment centers on sports corruption, accusing Rozier, 31, and former NBA player Damon Jones of using inside information to manipulate online betting markets. Prosecutors allege that in a March 2023 game, while playing for the Charlotte Hornets, Rozier faked an injury just nine minutes into the contest.
He had allegedly informed an associate he would leave the game early, prompting bets of over $200,000 on his underperformance, which netted the conspirators tens of thousands of dollars in profits.
The second, more extensive indictment charges 31 people, including Billups and 13 members and associates of the Bonanno, Genovese, and Gambino crime families, with operating fraudulent, high-stakes poker games.
Authorities allege these games, held in lavish locations in Miami, Las Vegas, and the Hamptons, used former professional athletes like Billups and Jones to lure wealthy victims into rigged games.
The scheme employed sophisticated technology, including special contact lenses to read marked cards and X-ray tables, to cheat victims out of an estimated $7 million.
At a press conference in Brooklyn, FBI Director Kash Patel called the arrests, which spanned 11 states, an extraordinary and coordinated takedown targeting tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft .
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. warned the defendants, Your winning streak has ended. Your luck has run out.The NBA announced that both Rozier and Billups have been placed on immediate leave, stating, We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.
Rozier’s lawyer denied the allegations, asserting the player is not a gambler and looks forward to fighting the charges. The defendants face a range of serious charges, including wire fraud, extortion, and illegal gambling.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
