 "Why NBA coach and players have been arrested by the FBI in a gambling case")
A major investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has uncovered two elaborate criminal schemes involving sports betting and high-stakes poker games linked to mafia families. The probe has also reached the NBA with two big names already arrested. Officials say the operations used sophisticated methods to defraud gamblers of millions of dollars over several years.
One of the cases involves alleged insider NBA information and cheating, with investigators describing the scale of the fraud as “mind boggling.” FBI Director Kash Patel said, “The fraud is mind boggling. We’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multi-year investigation. This is the insider-trading saga for the NBA.”
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were among those arrested in New York on Thursday, along with more than 30 other individuals. Billups is accused of fixing high-stakes poker games across multiple cities, while Rozier allegedly used insider information about NBA players to manipulate bets.
Both face charges of money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy. Former NBA assistant coach and player Damon Jones is also involved in these schemes. The NBA has placed Billups and Rozier on leave and confirmed their cooperation with authorities. In a statement, the league said, “We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
Why were NBA stars arrested?
Prosecutors cited one example from 2023, when Rozier was with the NBA team Charlotte Hornets. He allegedly informed others that he planned to leave a game early due to an injury, allowing gamblers to profit from it.
As per reports, mafia families, who organised these illegal poker games, asked NBA players to sit at the table to make the games look legitimate to the victims. The organisers allegedly earned more than $7 million through these games since 2019.
In another case, Jones is accused of releasing information about Los Angeles Lakers legend LeBron James’ injury to bettors.
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