NBA’s Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones arrested by FBI in illegal gambling probe

Miami Warmth guard Terry Rozier, Portland Path Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA star Damon Jones are three of 31 folks charged Thursday with allegedly turning skilled basketball into what authorities describe as a legal playing operation that used inside info to put unlawful bets.

FBI Director Kash Patel introduced the fees at a press convention in New York Metropolis, which was joined by different regulation enforcement officers. Patel known as the arrests “historic” and stated they concerned the NBA and the organized crime group, La Cosa Nostra.

Patel added: “That is an unlawful playing and sports-fixing operation that spanned a few years. The FBI led a coordinated crackdown in 11 states to arrest over 30 people at the moment liable for this case, which may be very a lot ongoing.

“However we additionally went in and executed a system of justice towards La Cosa Nostra, together with the Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese crime households.

“The costs and arrests that had been dropped throughout this nation vary from wire fraud, cash laundering, extortion, theft and unlawful playing. This FBI will go away no room for any crime to be dedicated throughout the nation.”

PAGE – The Division of Justice is lastly asserting one thing this morning, at 10:00 a.m. ET, that @pablofindsout has lengthy predicted: "quite a few arrests in unlawful sports activities betting and poker schemes." (Far more to return.) pic.twitter.com/qwdjt5dfbB

– Pablo Torre (@PabloTorre) October 23, 2025

Indictments towards Rozier, Billups and Jones

US Lawyer Joseph Nocella introduced the indictment of two main fraud instances, one associated to sports activities betting and the opposite involving unlawful playing by way of rigged poker video games. Goal losses are stated to be estimated within the hundreds of thousands of {dollars}.

Within the first case, Nocella stated six defendants are accused of taking part in what he described as “one of the vital brazen sports activities corruption schemes since on-line sports activities betting was extensively legalized.” In response to him, the group allegedly used confidential details about NBA gamers and groups to achieve an unfair benefit.

The second case, Nocella stated, targets 31 defendants who’re accused of rigging underground poker video games and stealing hundreds of thousands of {dollars}, operations allegedly supported by the La Cosa Nostra organized crime household.

He added: “These defendants, who embrace former skilled athletes, used high-tech fraud expertise to steal hundreds of thousands of {dollars} from victims in underground poker video games that had been secretly organized.”

He named former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jones, Eric Earnest and Shane Hennen on each events. Nocella additionally acknowledged that Marves Fairley and Deniro Laster had been sued.

Nocella stated the complete unlawful playing scheme started in 2019. In response to him, the defendants ran poker video games from the Hamptons to Las Vegas, Miami and Manhattan.

He defined that the victims, often called “fish,” had been lured into these video games with the promise of enjoying alongside former skilled athletes, so-called “face playing cards,” like Billups and Jones.

Nocella added that the NBA was cooperating with their investigation.

Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones arrested by the FBI

In response to ESPN, Rozier was taken into custody Thursday morning (October 23) at a resort in Orlando, Florida. The arrest got here simply hours after the Warmth misplaced to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night time, a recreation by which Rozier didn’t play resulting from what was described as a training resolution.

Experiences say Billups’ arrest isn’t associated to any video games he coached. He was sidelined Wednesday for the group’s season-opening loss to the Timberwolves.

Sportsbooks in a number of states had famous uncommon betting exercise on Rozier’s stats forward of a Charlotte Hornets–New Orleans Pelicans recreation on March 23, 2023. There was a sudden flurry of bets – 30 bets positioned inside 46 minutes by knowledgeable bettor that ranged from 9 – 13 factors. rebounds and assists. The rise in betting was so sharp that sportsbooks stopped betting on it. Throughout that recreation, Rozier, then with the Hornets, performed simply ten minutes earlier than leaving with what he stated was a foot harm.

Rozier’s legal professional, Jim Trusty, advised ESPN that his shopper had already met with NBA and FBI officers a number of occasions in 2023. In response to Trusty, “the preliminary investigation decided that he did nothing unsuitable.” The NBA additionally stated it reviewed the matter on the time and located no violation of league guidelines.

Talking about Rozier, New York Metropolis Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch acknowledged, “With the NBA season beginning, his profession is already on the bench. Not for harm, however for integrity.”

NBA locations Rozier and Billups on quick relaxation

The NBA launched a press release saying it was “within the strategy of reviewing the federal indictments introduced at the moment.

“Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being positioned on quick go away by their groups and we’ll proceed to cooperate with the suitable authorities.”

“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness and the integrity of our recreation stays our prime precedence.”

Rozier’s profession earnings

Now 31, Rozier is within the closing yr of a four-year, $96.3 million deal he signed with the Hornets in August 2021. That March 23, 2023 recreation ended up being his closing recreation of the 2022–2023 season earlier than Charlotte traded him to the Miami Warmth in January 2024.

Throughout his profession, Rozier has earned roughly $160,484,983 by way of the 2025 season. This contains roughly $89 million over a five-year interval and roughly $36 million over a two-year interval. His projected base wage for the 2025–26 season is $26,643,031.

This new case seems to be associated to the betting scandal involving former Toronto Raptors middle Jontay Porter. Porter was expelled from the NBA within the spring of 2024 for taking part in a playing scheme involving participant bets. He later pleaded responsible to conspiracy costs and admitted in courtroom that he intentionally manipulated his efficiency in two matches in the course of the 2023–24 season. Porter is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

4 males, together with Jontay Porter, have already pleaded responsible within the case, whereas two others have been named as co-conspirators and are stated to be in plea negotiations, in line with courtroom filings.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the difficulty on “The Pat McAfee Present” on Tuesday, saying the league has been working carefully with its sportsbook companions to cease any game-fixing efforts.

“We have requested a few of our companions to tug again among the possession bets, particularly once they’re with two-way gamers, guys who haven’t got the identical stake within the competitors, the place it’s totally simple to govern one thing that in any other case appears small and inconsequential to the general final result,” Silver stated. “We’re making an attempt to place in place, studying as we go and dealing with the betting firms, further management to forestall a few of that manipulation.”

UPDATED: Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones arrest stories had been additionally added on Oct. 23, in addition to the newest feedback from the FBI and US Lawyer Common. An announcement from the NBA can be included. This story might be up to date.

Featured Picture: Keith Allison of Hanover, MD, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0

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