Justice Department expects to extend plea deals to 12 in NBA-Mafia rigged poker case
Justice Department Plans to Expand Plea Agreements in NBA-Mafia Poker Scandal
Federal prosecutors anticipate broadening plea agreements with 12 individuals involved in a large-scale, organized crime-connected poker fraud investigation. The court filing, submitted ahead of a scheduled status conference on Wednesday, notes that the government has yet to detail which of the 12 suspects will be offered plea bargains.
Last year, prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York indicted more than 30 people in two separate gambling-related investigations. One case centers on poker games allegedly manipulated by the Mafia, while the other involves using insider knowledge to bet on NBA matches. Among the indicted are members and associates of four prominent Mafia crime families, along with Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and former NBA player Damon Jones.
Key Defendants and Their Roles
The indictment reveals that ‘face cards’—renowned former athletes—were integral to the operation, used as bait to attract affluent victims to the manipulated games. Prosecutors stated that Billups and Jones were part of the ‘cheating teams’ and received a portion of the criminal proceeds in exchange for their involvement, according to the filing.
Prosecutors informed U.S. District Judge Ramon Reyes, who is overseeing the case, that they anticipate finalizing formal plea deals with almost half of the indicted defendants in the near future. The filing states that the government engaged in constructive discussions with attorneys representing at least nine additional defendants, expressing cautious optimism that these will result in more plea agreements prior to trial.
All 30+ defendants are required to attend a status meeting in Brooklyn’s federal court on Wednesday. Billups, a Naismith Hall of Fame inductee, has entered not guilty pleas regarding money laundering and wire fraud charges. Jones has rejected allegations of unjust enrichment from the rigged poker games and insider trading accusations in a separate case. Rozier, who remains uncharged in the poker case, has been accused of involvement in the sports betting scheme.
Discovery Materials and Evidence
Since November, the government has been releasing discovery materials incrementally, including evidence seized from seven electronic devices, over 100,000 pages of financial records, and telephone records. The filing also mentions more than 800 pages of surveillance photographs, as well as pole camera video from one of the locations tied to the alleged illegal poker games. Additionally, several terabytes of data from electronic devices and iCloud accounts were disclosed.
“The government expects to extend formal plea agreements to nearly half of the defendants in the coming days,” prosecutors stated in the Tuesday filing.
This report is contributed by Chloe Atkins from the NBC News National Security and Law Unit, and Tom Winter, NBC’s National Law Enforcement and Intelligence Correspondent.
