Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty in federal court Monday following allegations he profited from rigged poker games, according to The Associated Press.
Key Takeaways
- Billups pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging he profited from rigged poker games tied to the mafia.
- He faces a host of charges including money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy, which each carry up to 20 years in prison.
- The plea comes amid a larger scandal that also involves Terry Rozier and Damon Jones.
Billups, who is currently on unpaid leave from the Portland Trail Blazers, was arraigned on money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy charges involving poker games tied to several reported members of the mafia.
“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation and his freedom, Billups' attorney, Chris Heywood, said after another federal court appearance last month. “He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.”
Each charge could reportedly land him a maximum of 20 years in prison.
The 49-year-old has been released from custody with a $5-million bond, ordered to refrain from gambling, and forbidden to contact any other defendants or alleged victims. His passport has also been surrendered, and his travel has been restricted.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account
NBA could be staring down betting crisis
Billups’ plea of not guilty comes amid much larger allegations of a reportedly sprawling betting scheme that included Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones. The pair is alleged to have conspired alongside bettors to provide inside information, such as injury status, ahead of that information being made public. Both have pleaded not guilty.
According to prosecutors, the poker scheme began in 2019 and defrauded victims of upward of $7 million, with Billups providing something of a celebrity endorsement that could help draw other wealthy clientele to the table.
The games were also said to have shared profits with several prominent mob families in New York, with mafia members helping enforce debt payments with assault, extortion, and robberies.
The NBA, meanwhile, has continued conducting its own probe into the betting scandal, and reportedly asked certain teams to surrender cell phones and documents.
The league is less than two years removed from another betting scandal involving former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter.
