An operation carried out by the FBI arrested player Terry Rozier, from the Miami Heat, and coach Chauncey Billups, from the Portland Trail Blazers, on Thursday morning (23). NBA. The operation is part of an investigation into a betting and game manipulation scheme, which even includes ties to the mafia, sources told Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to the FBI, 31 people are in custody, while others are expected to voluntarily surrender. Rozier was arrested at a hotel in Orlando, Florida. Billups’ arrest took place in Oregon and was made as part of a case linked to an illegal operation in poker games, according to the American channel ABC News.
The investigation, which has been going on for years, revealed the existence of a group in the NBA focused on manipulating results. The scheme lasted from 2022 to 2024 and involved millions of dollars in illicit profits, US authorities said.
Although the arrests stemmed from two separate indictments, some defendants were charged in both cases, said prosecutor Joseph Nocella, including former Clevenland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones.
Schema Details
According to Nocella, the case is one of the most daring sports corruption schemes since the legalization of online sports betting in the USA. The fraud took advantage of confidential information from NBA athletes and teams. In addition to the 31 individuals already detained, other former professional athletes are also accused of manipulating poker games using chips.
Among the accused, three people, including Damon Jones, Eric Earnest and Shane Hennen, are involved in both gambling and betting manipulation cases. Detroit Pistons player Malik Beasley is also under investigation, according to AP sources. Beasley has been absent from his team’s recent matches due to the ongoing investigations.
According to the investigation, bookmakers in several American states flagged suspicious data in Rozier’s statistics before the game between Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans, on March 23, 2023, when he was still playing for the Charlotte Hornets. In the match in question, Rozier claimed a foot injury after just ten minutes of play, an event that raised additional suspicion due to his absence from subsequent games.
Mafia Connections and Poker Operations
The investigation revealed that the NBA betting scheme exploited inside information about when specific players would not play or leave games citing injuries. This information was obtained through long-standing friendships with players and coaches in the league, and in some cases, through threats, as in the case of Jontay Porter, former center of the Toronto Raptors, who has already been sued and banned from the NBA.
In regards to the poker scheme, the suspects set up a technologically sophisticated operation utilizing custom shuffling machines, barcoded decks of cards and hidden cameras. Coach Chauncey Billups and others were recruited to give the games an appearance of legitimacy, deceiving victims into believing they were participating in fair matches.
Among the defendants in the poker scheme are 13 members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese families, three of the five mafias that dominate organized crime in New York. The amount gained by the gang has already exceeded US$7 million, with one of the victims losing a total of US$1.8 million.
The NBA has not yet officially commented on the most recent arrests, but the impact on the league’s reputation and fan confidence is undeniable. As the investigation continues, more details are expected to come to light, possibly involving other players and coaches.
Fonte Gaming365 – Brasil
