Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier have been arrested as part of two sweeping federal investigations into illegal gambling schemes tied to organized crime, authorities confirmed Thursday.
According to the FBI, the operation resulted in 34 total arrests, after a multiyear probe covering 11 U.S. states and involving tens of millions of dollars. Federal officials described the case as involving four Mafia families and “mind-boggling levels of fraud.”
Rozier and the insider betting case
Rozier was arrested Thursday morning in Orlando and is accused of participating in an illegal sports betting conspiracy using private NBA information. The indictment states that Rozier and others had access to confidential details “known by NBA players or NBA coaches” that could influence player performance or game outcomes, which they then passed along to co-conspirators for financial compensation.
Suspicious betting activity surrounding Rozier had previously been flagged on March 23, 2023, when 30 wagers totaling $13,759 were placed on his unders shortly before he exited the game after 10 minutes, citing injury.
Billups and the rigged poker operation
Billups was arrested in Oregon under a separate indictment accusing him of involvement in a rigged underground poker operation funded and protected by Mafia groups. Prosecutors allege that the defendants used technological tools to cheat players and siphon more than $7 million from victims in the New York area.
Both Billups and Rozier face wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering charges.
Former Cavs guard and assistant coach Damon Jones was also arrested and is accused of supplying inside NBA information to bettors. U.S. attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. called the investigation “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since legalized betting expanded in the U.S.”
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