The FBI has arrested over 30 individuals, including NBA player Terry Rozier and head coach Chauncey Billups, in a sweeping investigation into illegal gambling and sports rigging tied to four mafia families. The charges, unsealed on Thursday, involve wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, robbery and illegal gambling.
Rozier, now with the Miami Heat but formerly of the Charlotte Hornets, is accused of participating in a scheme to manipulate prop bets. According to authorities, he allegedly informed associates he would leave a March 2024 game early with a fake injury, allowing them to place over $200,000 in wagers on his under statistics. He exited after nine minutes, generating tens of thousands in profit, which was later delivered to his home.
The second indictment targets 31 defendants, including Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones, for running rigged poker games backed by the Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese crime families. Prosecutors allege the scheme used high-tech cheating devices—such as rigged shuffling machines, contact lenses and an X-ray poker table—to steal millions from victims, known as 'fish', who were lured by the chance to play with former athletes, referred to as 'face cards'.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the fraud as 'mind-boggling,' involving tens of millions of dollars. US Attorney Joseph Nocella stated that the mafia families had pre-existing control over illegal poker games in New York City and took a cut of the rigged games' proceeds. The investigation, spanning years, has led to arrests across multiple states.
