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NBA coach Chauncey Billups and guard Terry Rozier face federal charges in a sweeping illegal betting and poker rigging case. The NBA confirmed that both Rozier and Billups were placed on immediate leave.
The operation had ties to New York’s most notorious crime organisations.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Oct 24, 2025 05:39 IST
More than 30 people, including NBA head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, have been charged in two major federal investigations that uncovered illegal sports betting and mafia-linked poker game manipulation, the FBI announced on Thursday.
FBI Director Kash Patel said that "the insider trading saga for the NBA," exposed two intertwined criminal operations that generated tens of millions of dollars through fraud, money laundering, extortion, and gambling-related offences.
"This is the insider trading saga for the NBA," Patel added.
Rozier, 31, is accused of providing confidential information about upcoming NBA games to associates, who allegedly placed high-stakes bets using straw bettors. In one instance in March 2023, prosecutors said Rozier tipped off associates that he would exit a game early with an "injury," leading to more than $200,000 in wagers that he would fail to meet his projected performance targets.
Meanwhile, Billups, 49, a Hall of Fame player and current Portland Trail Blazers head coach, was indicted separately for allegedly participating in a poker-rigging operation. The scheme reportedly drew in unsuspecting players to high-stakes games featuring celebrity athletes. Using fraudulent shuffling devices, X-ray tables, and pre-marked cards, organisers manipulated outcomes across poker rooms in New York, Las Vegas, and Miami.
According to prosecutors, the operation had ties to New York’s most notorious crime organisations -- the Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese, and Genovese families -- who took a percentage of profits, used extortion to recover debts, and laundered proceeds through cryptocurrency.
Kash Patel shared details of eight NBA games among the co-conspirators' activities alleged in the indictment.
According to the indictment, the six named defendants are Eric Earnest, also known as "Spook;" Marves Fairley, also known as "Vez," "Vezino," and "Vezino Locks", Shane Hennen, also known as "Sugar," Damon Jones, also known as "D Jones," and "Dee Jones," Deniro Laster, also known as "Niro," "Payso," and "Peso," and Terry Rozier, also known as "Scary Terry" and "Chum."
NBA RESPONDS, PLAYERS PLACED ON LEAVE
In a statement, the NBA confirmed that both Rozier and Billups were placed on immediate leave.
"We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority," the league said.
Billups was arrested in Portland and is expected to appear in court there, while Rozier was taken into custody in Orlando ahead of a scheduled court hearing.
The indictments come amid growing concern over the impact of legalised sports betting on professional sports. Lawmakers have increasingly warned about the risks of manipulation, particularly involving prop bets -- wagers on individual player performances that can be more easily influenced.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently said he supported tighter federal regulations on betting, confirming that the league had urged sportsbooks to limit such wagers for lower-profile players.
"This is a wake-up call for all sports leagues," a Justice Department official said. "The line between competition and corruption is thinner than ever."
This is not the first time the NBA has been rocked by betting scandals. Former player Jontay Porter was banned for life in 2024 after pleading guilty to fixing his performance statistics for betting gains -- a case authorities said was "closely connected" to the latest indictments.
- Ends
With inputs from agencies
Published By:
Satyam Singh
Published On:
Oct 24, 2025
