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NBA Scandal: 34 People Indicted in Major Illegal Gambling and Betting Operation
One suspicion regarding illegal sports betting and another regarding illegal gambling operations, plus rigged poker games has yielded a take down of thirty-four people, including a current NBA player, a current NBA head coach, and a former NBA player.
Among those charged are Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and coach Damon Jones. The sweeping investigation connects the trio to a network allegedly linked to La Cosa Nostra, one of the most notorious Mafia organizations in the U.S.
According to federal indictments from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, the operation involved both illegal sports betting and rigged poker games, implicating members of the Bonano, Gambino, Luchese, and Genovese crime families.
After the indictment was unsealed, Billups and Rozier were placed on indefinite leave by the NBA.
“We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today,” the NBA said in a statement. “Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
Terry Rozier’s Alleged Role in the Scheme
Prosecutors claim Terry Rozier, 31, intentionally removed himself from a 2023 NBA game so an associate could place a winning bet. Between December 2022 and March 2024, Rozier and Jones allegedly exploited confidential insider information about player availability, injuries, and rest schedules to place lucrative bets.
This information, shared through Rozier’s associate Deniro “Niro” Laster, allegedly led to more than $250,000 in successful prop bets, prosecutors say.
The charges echo the recent case of former Toronto Raptors forward Johntay Porter, who pleaded guilty in 2024 to fixing his own stats to profit from prop bets. Rozier was arrested in Orlando, Florida, and now faces two felony counts — conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each charge carries a potential 20-year prison sentence.
Damon Jones’s Alleged Role in the Scheme
Damon Jones, 49, is accused of leveraging his NBA relationships to gather inside information for gamblers. The indictment describes him as a former teammate and coach of an unnamed “Player 3” during the 2022–2023 season — later confirmed by ESPN’s Shams Charania to reference LeBron James.
Authorities claim Jones sold confidential team information to professional gamblers, directly contributing to the multi-million-dollar betting scheme.
“With the alleged involvement of three La Cosa Nostra crime families, an NBA head coach and Hall of Famer, as well as other current and former professional athletes, the investigative work that culminated with this morning’s operation are reminiscent of a Hollywood movie. But this was not luck, and it was not theatrics,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Kash Patel.
Why is Mr. Big Shot in it?
Chauncey Billups, 49, was arrested at his home Thursday morning, a day after coaching the Trail Blazers’ season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Hall of Famer faces charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for allegedly participating in rigged high-stakes poker games associated with Mafia-backed card rings.
Prosecutors allege Billups and co-conspirators cheated victims out of at least $7 million through manipulated games tied to multiple New York crime families.
Billups appeared in court on October 23 at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland, where he was released on his own recognizance under the condition that he remain within Oregon and Colorado.
What happens next?
Rozier will put his home up for sale for collateral. Both Billups and Rozier have surrendered their United States passports. Their respective careers are on hold pending the outcome of their investigations.
“Over four years ago, HSI New York uncovered the operation and worked tirelessly with HSI Newark, the FBI, the New York Waterfront Commission, and the NYPD to expose crimes that defrauded victims of at least $7 million dollars and included violent robberies,” Patel continued. “I commend all agencies and personnel involved in today’s sweeping arrests, which should serve as a testament to our relentless, evidence-driven and unified effort.”
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Headlines and Hotlines
Black Press USA’s Morning Show breaks down today’s headlines with Mr. Mo’Kelly. Get the context and conversation behind the news impacting politics, culture, and the Black community.
This morning on Black Press USA’s Morning Show, Niele Anderson is joined by co-host guest Mr. Mo’Kelly as they break down the headlines shaping politics, culture, health, and the Black community.
Watch Black Press USA’s Morning Show for the headlines, the context, and the conversation behind the news.
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Headlines and Hotlines 📱
Get the scoop on what’s happening in politics, culture, and the Black community with Niele Anderson and Mr. Mo’Kelly on Black Press USA’s Morning Show. Don’t miss the headlines, context, and vital conversations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxVhPDEh5Uo
This morning on Black Press USA’s Morning Show, Niele Anderson is joined by co-host guest Mr. Mo’Kelly as they break down the headlines shaping politics, culture, health, and the Black community.
Watch Black Press USA’s Morning Show for the headlines, the context, and the conversation behind the news.
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DMV DOES on Being More Than a Book Club | Let’s Talk
DMV DOES proves books are just the beginning for building community. Learn how this group sparks meaningful conversations and connection.
Washington Informer Publisher and Let’s Talk host Denise Rolark Barnes talks with Whitney Parker and Jennifer Ward, founders of DMV DOES, about building community through books, meaningful conversations, connection, and shared experiences.
🎥 Let’s Talk airs LIVE every Friday at Noon on WIN-TV
🔴 LIKE, SUBSCRIBE & SHARE
🌐 Visit Us: www.washingtoninformer.com
Host: Denise Rolark Barnes
Publisher – The Washington Informer
About The Washington Informer:
Founded in 1964 by Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, The Washington Informer is an African American, woman-owned newspaper providing positive coverage of the Black community in Washington, D.C. In March 2020, we launched WIN-TV to further amplify community voices and issues.
Production Team:
🎥 Producer: Shevry Lassiter
🎥 Asst. Producer: Ja’Mon Jackson
🎶 Theme Music by DB Bantino
Follow Us on Social Media:
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Guest: Whitney Parker and Jennifer Ward – Founders of DMV DOES
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Talking with TotallyRandie: The AsOneFoundation
Join TotallyRandie as we dive into the mission and initiatives of The AsOne Foundation. Discover their impactful work!
This video features a discussion with TotallyRandie about The AsOne Foundation. The conversation delves into the organization’s mission and initiatives.
Viewers can gain insight into the work of The AsOne Foundation through this interview with TotallyRandie. The video explores the foundation’s activities and purpose.
Black Press
Event Preview: ‘Fashion v. Fascism’ – A Runway Revolution Is Coming to the Bay Area
“Fashion v. Fascism” (FVF) is an upcoming visually immersive event combining fashion, music, and political theater to expose the rise of fascism in the U.S. and advocate for resistance. Described as a live “runway revolution,” FVF premieres October 3 at The Rotunda in downtown Oakland. The event will feature five runway collections spotlighting elements of contemporary fascist politics, accompanied by political theater and live music, culminating in a call to action. Organizers state that culture is a potent defense when democracy is under siege. Read more to learn about this unique event.
“Fashion vs. Fascism” (FVF) is a visually immersive evening of fashion, music and political theater exposing the rise of fascism in the U.S. and the need to resist. Democracy is under siege, and culture is one of our most potent defenses, organizers say.
Called a live “runway revolution,” FvF premieres Oct. 3 at The Rotunda, 300 Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland.
A play that is part fashion show, part protest, part performance art, FvF stages five runway collections spotlighting the pillars of contemporary fascist politics and the urgent need to resist: the myth of a “glorious past,” the manufactured emergencies used to justify surveillance and crackdowns, and the oligarchs and grifters profiting from it all. Runway fashion shares the stage with political theater and live music, with a closing call to action.
“We need lawsuits, ballots and mass protests, but none of it lands if we’re not also fighting for people’s imagination,” says Linda Burnham, co-producer of the show. “People are exhausted and scared. FvF will expose the absurdities of fascist mythology and ideology in ways a news headline cannot and spark new ideas about how to resist.”
“Fascism doesn’t win by policy alone. It wins by telling a story. A myth about a ‘Golden Age.’ A permanent emergency that makes cruelty seem necessary. That’s not an accident, it’s a strategy, and it works on the same terrain as culture: image, spectacle, emotion,” says Aya De León, the show’s playwright.
“Every piece on this runway translates what is happening under fascism into a feeling,” explains Erica Furlong, the FVF creative director. “One designer’s trench coat is covered in pockets stamped ‘TRUTH,’ ‘MEMORY,’ ‘HOPE,’ ‘VOTE,’ ‘FUTURE,’ because that’s literally what gets seized first, pocket by pocket, under fascist decline. Fashion can hold grief and hope in the same silhouette, and that tension is exactly what this moment needs.”
At its best, fashion is about creativity, diversity, innovation, experimentation and the free exchange of ideas. Fascism, by contrast, demands conformity and control, while suppressing dissent.
FVF was created, organizers say, because democracy should always be in style.
Featured designers include Erica Varize, Rickie Lee, Tianna Charity, Julie Wong, and Maria Flores. The evening features a script by lead playwright Aya De León, musical performances by Mindeullae Project and DJ Emancipation, and other special guests.
FvF is designed to travel. Following the Oakland premiere, FvF will extend its reach through a documentary short, a curriculum on contemporary fascism in the U.S., and a full replication playbook — design templates, script, and curriculum — so organizers in other cities can stage their own version of the show.
Get more details at www.fashionvfascism.org.
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