Who are Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones? A look at arrested NBA player and coaches
Thank you, Director Patel. To be clear, we’re announcing today indictments in two major cases, both involving fraud. One involves sports betting and the other involves illegal gambling, very specifically rigged poker games. The first indictment involves 6 defendants who are alleged to have participated in one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States. This scheme is an insider sports betting conspiracy that exploited confidential information about National Basketball Association athletes and teams. The second indictment involves 31 defendants alleged to have participated in *** nationwide scheme to rig illegal poker games. These defendants, which include former professional athletes, used high-tech cheating technology to steal millions of dollars from victims in underground poker games that were secretly fixed. The games in the New York area were backed by the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families of Le Casa Nostra. Well, the cases are separate. There are 3 overlapping defendants charged in both cases, Damon Jones, Eric Earnest, and Shane Hennon. The indictments in these cases contain only allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until they are proven guilty in *** court of law. But my message to the defendants who’ve been rounded up today is this. Your winning streak has ended. Your luck has run out. Violating the law is *** losing proposition and you can bet on that. First, I would like to talk about United States versus Earnest, the NBA basketball gambling case. The defendants in this case are Eric Earnest. Marvez Farley. Shane Hennon, De Niro Laster, Damon Jones, *** former NBA player and coach, and Terry Rozierre, *** current NBA player. Other co-conspirators were previously charged for their roles in the scheme, including former NBA player Jontay Porter. Between December 2022 and March 2024, these defendants perpetrated *** scheme to defraud by betting on inside non-public information about NBA athletes and teams. The non-public information included when specific players would be sitting out future games or when they would pull themselves out early for purported injuries or illnesses. They relied on corrupt individuals including Jones and Rozierre. They also misused information obtained through long standing friendships that they had with NBA players and coaches. And in at least one instance, They got their information by threatening *** current player, Porter, because of his pre-existing gambling debts. Defendants use this nonpublic information to place hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent bets, mostly in the form of prop bets on individual player performance. The bets were placed through online sports books and also in person at casinos. The defendants relied on *** network of straw bets to place the maximum amount of bets to increase their potential profits. Most of these bets succeeded and the intended losses were in the millions of dollars. The defendants then laundered their illegal winnings in various ways, peer to peer platforms, bank wires, and simple cash exchanges. The indictment details specific examples where the defendants profited from illegal gambling and illegal betting on various NBA games about the performance of players on, among other things, the Charlotte Hornets, the Portland Trail Blazers. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Rangers. Each defendant in the NBA basketball gambling case has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Now I would like to turn to the other case, United States versus Aiello, the rigged poker game case. Beginning as early as 2019, the defendants in this case orchestrated *** scheme to use wireless cheating technology to run rigged poker games across the United States, including in the Hamptons, Las Vegas, Miami, and Manhattan. The scheme targeted victims known as quote fish who were often lured to participate in these rigged games by the chance to play alongside former professional athletes who were known as quote face cards. The so-called face cards included the defendant Chauncey Billups, who at the time of the scheme was *** former NBA player and is currently the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and also Damon Jones, *** former NBA player and coach. What the victims, the fish, didn’t know is that everybody else at the poker game from the dealer to the players, including the face cards, were in on the scam. Once the game was underway, the defendants fleeced the victims out of 10s or hundreds of thousands of dollars per game. The defendants used *** variety of very sophisticated cheating technologies. Some of which were provided by other defendants in exchange for *** share of the profits from the scheme. For example, They used off the shelf shuffling machines that had been secretly altered in order to read the cards in the deck, predict which player at the table had the best poker hand. And relay that information to an off-site operator. The off-site operator. Sent the information via cell phone back to *** co-conspirator at the table and that person at the table was known as the quarterback. The quarterback then signaled secretly the information he had received from others to others at the table and together they used that information in order to uh win their games and to cheat the victims. Defendants used other cheating technologies such as poker chip tray analyzers, which is *** poker chip tray that secretly reads cards. Uh, using *** hidden camera, special contact lenses or eyeglasses that could read premarked cards. And an X-ray table that could read cards face down on the table. What you see depicted on the screen right now is an example of the X-ray table that uh reveals the cards, although they are face down on the table, they can be red because of the X-ray technology. The mafia, specifically members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese organized crime families had preexisting control over non-rigged illegal poker games around New York City. As *** result, they also became involved in the rigged poker games, helping to organize the games and taking *** cut of the proceedings and working to enforce the collection of debts. The defendants laundered their proceeds, including through cash exchanges, the use of multiple shell companies, and through cryptocurrency transfers. As part of the scheme, some of the defendants and their co-conspiracy conspirators also committed acts of violence, including the gunpoint robbery of *** person in order to obtain *** rigged shuffling machine and extortions that were perpetrated against victims in order to ensure that they repay their gambling debts. Defendants who participated in the rigged poker scheme are charged with wire fraud conspiracy. Other defendants have been charged with crimes including illegal gambling, money laundering, Hobbs Act robbery, and extortions. This case demonstrates our officers unrelenting commitment to fighting the scourge of organized crime in whatever form it takes. I’d like to conclude my remarks by thanking the incredible hard work of our law enforcement partners including the FBI, Homeland Security, the NYPD, and the Waterfront Commission. I also want to thank the dedicated prosecutors who built these two cases and who are standing to my right. Benjamin Weintraub, David Bourbon, Caitlin Farrell. Michael Gibaldi Ire Su Chen and Sean Sherman. They had the assistance of paralegal specialists, Liam McNett. John Schneider, Marlene uh Boslor. Also deserving of our thanks because of their outstanding investigative work on the NBA case are FBI special agents Russell Lantier, Dominic Mariani. Amy Grosso, Shane Wilkins, and supervisory Special Agent Luke Hardison. On the rig poker game scheme, outstanding work was performed by FBI special agents Thomas Cribbin, Jeff Briola. Jonathan Corona, Alexander Silverman. Amy Campanro and supervisory Special Agent Michael Maahy as well as NYPD task officer James McCullough and from Homeland Security Supervisory Special Agent Charles Freund and from the Waterfront Commission Detective Paul Symborski. Finally, I want to know that the investigations in both cases are ongoing, and we encourage anyone with information about either scheme to please contact the FBI.
Who are Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones? A look at arrested NBA player and coaches
Updated: 3:37 PM EDT Oct 23, 2025
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Damon Jones were arrested Thursday in connection with a federal investigation into illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by Mafia.Billups was charged with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games in Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan and the Hamptons that were backed by La Cosa Nostra Crime families. Rozier was accused in a second scheme to concoct fraudulent bets by exploiting confidential information about NBA athletes and teams. Jones is charged with participating in both schemes.Here’s a look at the NBA figures involved:Chauncey BillupsBillups, 49, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2024. The Denver native played college ball at Colorado, then was the No. 3 pick by Boston in 1997. He also played for Toronto, Denver (two stints), Minnesota, Detroit (two stints), the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers in a 17-year playing career.Billups was a five-time All-Star and won a championship with Detroit in 2004, when he was named the NBA Finals MVP.On Nov. 16, 2020, Billups was named a Clippers assistant on coach Tyronn Lue’s staff. Billups was hired as Portland’s coach in 2021 and signed a multi-year extension with the Trail Blazers on April 13. Billups took a 117-211 coaching record into this season.Billups was known as Mr. Big Shot during his playing career and won the Joe Dumars Trophy, the NBA’s sportsmanship award, in 2009 while playing for his hometown Nuggets.Terry RozierRozier, 30, was raised primarily by his mother as his father, Terry Rozier Sr., has been in prison for most of the younger Rozier’s life. Rozier, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, was a standout guard at Louisville who was the 16th pick by the Boston Celtics in 2015.Rozier was traded to Charlotte on July 6, 2019 and flourished with the Hornets. He set career highs by averaging 18 points in the 2019-20 season, 20.4 points the following season and 21.1 points in 2022-23.On Jan. 23, 2024, Rozier was traded to Miami for Kyle Lowry. Rozier averaged 10.6 points for Miami in the 2024-25 season while playing in 64 games, including 23 starts.In 2018, Rozier became only the second player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his first start when he scored 17 points with 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Boston’s 103-73 win over the Knicks.Rozier’s game on March 23, 2023 for Charlotte against New Orleans has been in question. He played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds in the first quarter before exiting and did not play again in that game or the final eight games of the season. Charlotte was not in playoff contention, so it did not seem particularly unusual that Rozier was shut down. However, posts still online from that 2023 game show that some bettors were furious with sportsbooks. Many posted on social media that something “shady” had gone on regarding the prop bets involving Rozier’s stats for that night.A prop is a type of wager that allows gamblers to bet on whether a player will exceed a certain statistical number, such as whether the player will finish over or under a certain total of points, rebounds, assists and more.Rozier was in uniform as the Heat played the Magic in Orlando Wednesday evening, though he did not play in the game.Damon JonesJones, 49, was an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23 when he allegedly was involved with the betting scheme, according to the indictment. He’s been coaching since at least 2014 after finishing an 11-year NBA playing career.He is from Galveston, Texas, and played for Houston in college before suiting up with NBA teams in New Jersey, Boston, Golden State, Dallas, Vancouver, Detroit, Sacramento, Milwaukee, Miami and Cleveland.Jones averaged 11.6 points in the 2004-05 season with Miami, his only season scoring in double figures.Jones joined Cleveland’s coaching staff in 2014 as a shooting consultant. He was on Tyronn Lue’s Cleveland staff for the postseason in 2016 and was named a full-time assistant for the Cavaliers later that year. He also worked as a TV analyst for ESPN in 2018.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Damon Jones were arrested Thursday in connection with a federal investigation into illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by Mafia.
Billups was charged with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games in Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan and the Hamptons that were backed by La Cosa Nostra Crime families. Rozier was accused in a second scheme to concoct fraudulent bets by exploiting confidential information about NBA athletes and teams. Jones is charged with participating in both schemes.
Here’s a look at the NBA figures involved:
Chauncey Billups
Billups, 49, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2024. The Denver native played college ball at Colorado, then was the No. 3 pick by Boston in 1997. He also played for Toronto, Denver (two stints), Minnesota, Detroit (two stints), the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers in a 17-year playing career.
Billups was a five-time All-Star and won a championship with Detroit in 2004, when he was named the NBA Finals MVP.
On Nov. 16, 2020, Billups was named a Clippers assistant on coach Tyronn Lue’s staff. Billups was hired as Portland’s coach in 2021 and signed a multi-year extension with the Trail Blazers on April 13. Billups took a 117-211 coaching record into this season.
Billups was known as Mr. Big Shot during his playing career and won the Joe Dumars Trophy, the NBA’s sportsmanship award, in 2009 while playing for his hometown Nuggets.
Terry Rozier
Rozier, 30, was raised primarily by his mother as his father, Terry Rozier Sr., has been in prison for most of the younger Rozier’s life. Rozier, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, was a standout guard at Louisville who was the 16th pick by the Boston Celtics in 2015.
Rozier was traded to Charlotte on July 6, 2019 and flourished with the Hornets. He set career highs by averaging 18 points in the 2019-20 season, 20.4 points the following season and 21.1 points in 2022-23.
On Jan. 23, 2024, Rozier was traded to Miami for Kyle Lowry. Rozier averaged 10.6 points for Miami in the 2024-25 season while playing in 64 games, including 23 starts.
In 2018, Rozier became only the second player in NBA history to record a triple-double in his first start when he scored 17 points with 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Boston’s 103-73 win over the Knicks.
Rozier’s game on March 23, 2023 for Charlotte against New Orleans has been in question. He played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds in the first quarter before exiting and did not play again in that game or the final eight games of the season. Charlotte was not in playoff contention, so it did not seem particularly unusual that Rozier was shut down. However, posts still online from that 2023 game show that some bettors were furious with sportsbooks. Many posted on social media that something “shady” had gone on regarding the prop bets involving Rozier’s stats for that night.
A prop is a type of wager that allows gamblers to bet on whether a player will exceed a certain statistical number, such as whether the player will finish over or under a certain total of points, rebounds, assists and more.
Rozier was in uniform as the Heat played the Magic in Orlando Wednesday evening, though he did not play in the game.
Damon Jones
Jones, 49, was an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022-23 when he allegedly was involved with the betting scheme, according to the indictment. He’s been coaching since at least 2014 after finishing an 11-year NBA playing career.
He is from Galveston, Texas, and played for Houston in college before suiting up with NBA teams in New Jersey, Boston, Golden State, Dallas, Vancouver, Detroit, Sacramento, Milwaukee, Miami and Cleveland.
Jones averaged 11.6 points in the 2004-05 season with Miami, his only season scoring in double figures.
Jones joined Cleveland’s coaching staff in 2014 as a shooting consultant. He was on Tyronn Lue’s Cleveland staff for the postseason in 2016 and was named a full-time assistant for the Cavaliers later that year. He also worked as a TV analyst for ESPN in 2018.