NBA guard Malik Beasley and former forward Ed Davis have been indicted on multiple gambling charges by federal prosecutors, stemming from a game-manipulation scheme.
Key Takeaways
- Malik Beasley allegedly conspired with former NBA player Ed Davis to manipulate at least three games.
- The co-defendants will be arraigned at a later date.
- This is one of multiple NBA betting schemes.
Beasley, Davis, and four co-conspirators, including NBA agent Paolo Zamorano, were charged in a Brooklyn federal court with fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI announced on Monday.
Several defendants were arrested on Monday and will be arraigned at a later date.
Beasley is accused of agreeing with Davis to purposely underperform or overperform in NBA games so a group of bettors, including Zamorano, William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia, and other co-conspirators, could wager on his player props using non-public information to profit from the scheme.
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Major profits
Federal prosecutors allege that bettors made hundreds of thousands of dollars from the NBA scheme. If convicted, Beasley and his co-defendants face 20 years in prison for the wire fraud, 20 years for money laundering, and another five years for bribery.
“As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, bribing then-NBA player Malik Beasley to fix his performance in multiple games in order to place fraudulent wagers, enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” United States Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement.
“Bribery and insider betting schemes like this one involving former NBA players and a current NBA player agent who exploited inside NBA information for profit erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public.”
Game manipulation
Beasley agreed to manipulate at least three games during the 2023-2024 season, when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks, according to federal prosecutors.
In a game on Jan. 26, 2024, against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Beasley allegedly took a bribe from Davis to stay under his rebounding total for the game, information Davis shared with the group of bettors. Beasley finished with three boards.
A month later, Beasley told Davis that he would go under his point total but over on rebounds for a promised bribe in a contest against the Charlotte Hornets. Davis again shared this non-public information with multiple co-conspirators. Beasley finished with six points and four rebounds in a 123-85 Bucks victory.
Prosecutors also outlined a March 10, 2024, game against the Los Angeles Clippers in which Beasley said he would go over his rebounding total. He grabbed four boards in a 124-117 win on the road, while the group of bettors allegedly cashed in.
“These defendants allegedly operated an illegal betting ring in an attempt to unlawfully earn hundreds of thousands of dollars,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle said.
“As alleged, Malik Beasley allowed himself to be bought and altered his gametime performance to line pockets of Ed Davis and his other co-conspirators. The FBI continues to dismantle fraudulent schemes that erode the integrity of any institution, including our nation's professional sports leagues.”
NBA schemes
Beasley was under investigation last year by the NBA for betting on games and player props. He intended to sign a contract with the Detroit Pistons before the league began looking into possible gambling policy violations, but Beasley missed all of last season.
He had a brief stint in the Puerto Rico pro league before being released. Davis hasn’t been on an NBA roster since the 2021-22 season, but he played 11 seasons in the league and was teammates with Beasley in Minnesota.
This gambling scandal comes on the heels of two other major NBA betting schemes. Former Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter was banned from the league for betting on games, including wagering on his own team. He later pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges, admitting that he took himself out of two games to help a group of bettors profit from his player prop unders to pay off gambling debts.
Former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested in October 2025 during a massive FBI takedown and faces fraud and bribery charges for allegedly fixing a game while he played for the Charlotte Hornets in March 2023. Rozier has pleaded not guilty and will stand trial in February.
