Chauncey Billups Pleads Not Guilty For Alleged Role in Rigged Poker Games

• Former NBA Coach Chauncey Billups pled not guilty this morning for his alleged role in a poker scandal
• Billups was arraigned on two counts of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy in a federal courthouse in Brooklyn
• He was released on a $5 million bond

Former NBA coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups pled not guilty this morning in a federal Brooklyn courthouse for his alleged role in rigged poker games.

Billups has been charged with counts of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy for his alleged role in rigged poker games. The games involved several New York Italian mafia families using various technological means to rig games and scam million of dollars from players.

Billups allegedly lured players into the games, knowing full well they were rigged against certain participants.

Pleads Not Guilty to All Counts

According to a U.S. Department of Justice spokesperson, counsel for Billups this morning pled not guilty to both the wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges. If convicted, both charges carry a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Marc Mukasey, counsel for Billups, pled not guilty on his behalf. Billups was later released on a $5 million bond after putting up his Colorado home as collateral.

The poker scheme, dubbed “Operation Royal Flush” by the FBI, involved several New York Italian mafia families organizing rigged poker games to scam millions of dollars from its players. Thirteen members from New York mafia families have been indicted in the case.

The poker games were allegedly rigged by the mafia using sophisticated technology to ensure who would win, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars being scammed from players at the games. Several of the games used hidden cameras in poker chip trays, players using sunglasses with built-in X-ray technology, and altered shuffling machines.

Players were promised the opportunity to play with Billups and Damon Jones, a former NBA player and coach, to lure them into the games.

U.S. District Judge Ramon Reyes declared the case to be “complex.” He reserves the decision on a government proposal to break the 31 defendants up into three groups and hold separate status conferences in the future for each group.

Jones Also Pled Not Guilty For His Roles in Scandals

Jones previously pled not guilty for his alleged roles in the poker game scandal and NBA sports betting scandal. Jones pled not guilty to two charges stemming from the scandals.

In addition to his role in the rigged poker games, Jones is also allegedly involved in an NBA sports betting scandal involving former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. Rozier was arrested in October stemming from a federal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for potentially manipulating 2023 game performances as part of an illegal sports betting ring.

Six individuals were arrested, including Rozier, for their roles in manipulating the outcome of game performances. A federal investigation for Rozier was announced in January, centering around a March 23, 2023 game when Rozier was a member of the Charlotte Hornets. Rozier played less than 10 minutes in the game after leaving with what was described as a foot injury. Rozier averaged more than 35 minutes a game that season.

According to the FBI, the sports betting scheme was an “insider sports betting conspiracy” that exposed confidential information for NBA athletes and teams. The individuals involved in the conspiracy knew when specific players would be sitting out futures games or who planned to pull themselves out of competition early, for purported injuries of illnesses.

The defendants placed bets on games involving the Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, and Portland Trail Blazers, he said. They did so through online sports betting platforms and in-person at casino sportsbooks.