Published on: November 24, 2025, 02:10h.

Updated on: November 24, 2025, 02:32h.

• Billups could face up to 40 years in prison
• Head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and Hall of Fame player accused of being a “face card” in a sophisticated poker scheme
• Billups entered a not guilty plea in a New York federal court earlier today

Chauncey Billups, head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, pleaded not guilty this morning in a federal court in New York City to charges related to conspiracy involving money laundering and wire fraud as part of an alleged rigged poker game operation.

Billups, a celebrated Hall of Fame player in the NBA with a stellar 17-year career, is accused of directly benefiting from a scheme involving Mafia associates. He stands out among over 30 co-defendants since the FBI announced widespread arrests across 11 states last month. These poker games, occurring in New York City, East Hampton, and other locations across the country since 2019, allegedly utilized rigged card shuffling machines and advanced technology to manipulate outcomes, cheating players of millions.

Identified as the “face card,” Billups reportedly served as the celebrity figure intended to attract affluent individuals to the Texas Hold’em poker games. The indictments detailed claims that a fraction of the proceeds were funneled to members of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families, who were tasked with enforcing gambling debts through threats and violence.

Indictments Announced in October

Each charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Billups’ attorney, Chris Heywood, emphasized his client’s integrity:

“To believe that Chauncey Billups engaged in the activities the federal government is accusing him of is to suggest he would risk everything—his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom—for a card game. He would never jeopardize those for anything,” said Heywood.

The indictments were first made public on October 23rd. Other co-defendants in this poker operation are also expected to appear in court as the judge, prosecutors, and defense attorneys finalize the next steps.

Notably, former NBA player and coach Damon Jones has also been charged and has pleaded not guilty. Billups retired from professional play in 2014, took the helm of the Trail Blazers as head coach in 2022, and recently signed a multi-year contract extension with the franchise.

According to Spotrac, Billups earned a total of USD $106.8 million throughout his playing career. He is currently on unpaid leave from the Trail Blazers.

Career Earnings of $106.8 Million

Authorities have likened the scheme to a plot straight out of a Hollywood crime thriller.

“More than four years ago, HSI New York discovered this operation and collaborated diligently with various agencies, including HSI Newark, the FBI, the New York Waterfront Commission, and the NYPD to unveil crimes that defrauded victims of at least $7 million and involved violent robberies,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel last month.

The indictment describes how a dealer employs a shuffling machine to distribute cards randomly at the table, but these machines incorporated clandestine technology capable of reading the entire deck, allowing the operators to determine which player held the winning hand from a predetermined order.

This information was subsequently sent to an off-site participant in the scheme, and relayed back to another conspirator at the table, dubbed the “Quarterback.” This individual discreetly conveyed the results to accomplices by manipulating certain chips, for example. Victims fell prey to losses amounting to tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars, as stated in the indictment.

Total Estimated Losses of $7 Million

The defendants along with their co-conspirators placed bets strategically to guarantee that clueless victims would incur losses. Through these manipulated poker games, the defendants are believed to have caused victim losses of no less than USD $7 million.

“The arrests of individuals from three La Cosa Nostra crime families serve as a clear reminder of their willingness to collaborate to further their sophisticated criminal endeavors when it benefits them,” remarked Phoebe Sorial, Executive Director of the New York Waterfront Commission. “Dismantling their illicit gambling operations will reduce their influence, especially around the Port of New York, an area where they have historically held sway. The New York Waterfront Commission, in close cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, remains steadfast in its mission to tear down these organizational structures by cutting off their financial veins.”