An NBA player and coach are among dozens of people arrested as part of a sweeping FBI investigation into illegal sports betting and allegedly rigged, mafia-linked poker games.
Miami Heat player Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were named by federal prosecutors in two separate indictments on Thursday. Both men deny the allegations.
Rozier, 31, is among six people arrested over alleged betting irregularities. They include NBA players accused of faking injuries to influence gambling markets.
Billups, a Hall of Fame player turned coach, is one of 31 people charged in a separate illegal poker game case involving retired players and the mafia.
That case, which prosecutors said involved four of the five major crime families in New York, uncovered an alleged scheme to lure victims into playing rigged poker games alongside high-profile sports stars before stealing millions of dollars.
They accomplished this using technology including special contact lenses and glasses that could read pre-marked cards and an X-ray table, according to authorities.
The NBA said in a statement that Rozier and Billups were being placed on immediate leave as it reviews the federal indictments.
We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority, it said.
Rozier's lawyer denied the allegations, saying: Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.
He appeared in federal court in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday and was released on bail after he put up his Florida home – valued at $6m – as collateral, according to local media.
Billups was arrested in Portland, Oregon, and arraigned in court on Thursday. He is expected to prepare a substantial bond for his release as well.
His lawyer, Chris Heywood, also denied the accusations, stating: He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court.
FBI Director Kash Patel held a news conference in Brooklyn, New York, announcing the two indictments and described the arrests as extraordinary, stating there was a coordinated takedown across 11 states.
He noted, We're talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft across a multi-year investigation.
US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. emphasized that all defendants are innocent until proven guilty but warned: Your winning streak has ended. Your luck has run out.
Prosecutors stated the first case involved players and associates who allegedly used insider information to manipulate bets on major gambling platforms and described it as one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes.
Seven NBA games between February 2023 and March 2024 have been identified in this case, including one involving Rozier, where he allegedly communicated plans to leave a game early due to injury, influencing bets substantially.
The second indictment focuses on a scheme involving 31 defendants alleged to have participated in rigged poker games that stole millions from victims through complex scams orchestrated by organized crime families.
Nocella described the use of cutting-edge technology in these games and detailed the extent of fraud committed against players. The conspiracy is reported to have defrauded victims of about $7 million.
This is only the tip of the iceberg, said Christopher Raia, FBI assistant director of the New York field office.
