Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was arrested by the FBI last month for allegedly taking part in mafia-influenced illegal poker games. On Monday, Billups appeared in a New York City federal court on charges on money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud.
Billups pleaded not guilty to the charges made against him during his arraignment. He previously appeared in a Portland, Ore., federal court last month when his attorney Chris Heywood called Billups a “man of integrity.”
The case involving Billups revolves around rigged poker games. According to FBI director Kash Patel and the Justice Department, four of the New York mafia’s five families were involved in the scheme: the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese families. They say the perpetrators used poker chip tray analyzers, special contact lenses or eyeglasses, and an X-ray table to dupe players out of hundreds of thousands of dollars—and that Billups and former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones were in on the scheme.
Prosecutors later called Billups a celebrity “face card” to lure people into the games. Overall, it is alleged that the poker scheme defrauded people of at least $7 million starting around 2019.
In total, 34 people were indicted last month, six for a scheme related to rig performances and sharing inside information on NBA games and 28 for the case involving the mafia and allegedly rigged poker games. Three individuals were indicted for both cases. Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested on the same day as part of the FBI's investigation into the alleged illegal sports gambling ring.
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