Published on: November 22, 2025, 11:42 AM.

Updated on: November 22, 2025, 11:42 AM.

• Sources indicate that defendants in gambling indictments linked to an NBA player and coach are weighing plea agreements
• Nearly 30 individuals arrested during a nationwide FBI sting operation in October
• Two distinct gambling cases: one related to a clandestine poker operation and the other to illegal sports wagering

According to a recent court filing by federal authorities, defendants implicated in two gambling cases involving a current NBA player and a coach are reportedly in talks regarding potential plea bargains.

In October, the FBI disclosed the arrest of nearly 30 individuals nationwide, including mafia members, allegedly entangled in a rigged poker scheme where officials claim victims lost tens of millions, alongside another betting operation exploiting confidential information to gamble on NBA games.

For the illegal poker case, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York reported that 31 individuals across 11 states have been indicted in a scheme designed to defraud players out of their money during high-stakes poker games. Victims were at risk from hidden technology, including rigged shuffling machines that could read cards and plan hands for players, coupled with special contact lenses and sunglasses designed to read cards.

Manipulated Card Shuffling Machines

NBA Hall of Famer and current Portland Trailblazers coach Chauncey Billups has been identified as a “Face Card,” purportedly drawing unsuspecting players into Texas Hold’em games, with this operation tracing back to 2019.

Much like scenes from The Sopranos, a protracted investigation revealed that the poker scheme’s funds were being funneled to La Cosa Nostra, one of the world’s most infamous crime syndicates. Several members from three La Cosa Nostra mafia families were detained during October’s crackdown.

Mafia members allegedly played a role in enforcing debts, as highlighted in the indictments, with some defendants accused of resorting to violence.

Criminal Enforcement Tactics

The federal prosecutors referenced the plea negotiations in court documents filed before a U.S. District judge overseeing the poker case.

“While it is premature for the government and defendants to engage in significant plea discussions, initial productive talks have begun, which we hope will lead to resolutions for several defendants outside of trial proceedings,” federal prosecutors noted in their filing.

However, it remains unclear which of the 31 arrested individuals are negotiating plea deals. Billups is scheduled for an arraignment on Monday in New York, facing charges of wire fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering—each carrying potential penalties of up to 20 years. Billups’ legal counsel has asserted his client’s innocence and plans to enter a not guilty plea, a stance similarly taken by Damon Jones, a former NBA player also implicated in the poker scheme. Jones has formally pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

Illegal Sports Betting Operation

The second gambling case centers around the unauthorized release of insider information involving Miami guard Terry Rozier for betting purposes. While a member of the Charlotte Hornets, Rozier allegedly exited a game early in March 2023, enabling gamblers who had placed under bets to succeed, for which Rozier received compensation. He has been implicated in providing private information to bettors on games involving the Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, and Trail Blazers over the span of a year.

Rozier is slated for arraignment on December 8, and his attorney has stated he intends to plead not guilty. Currently, Rozier is on leave from the NBA and is not receiving his salary, which is $26.6 million annually. According to sources, should Rozier be acquitted, he may receive his withheld salary in full.

Billups, likewise suspended from the NBA, has had his salary withheld as well.