{"id":2502249,"date":"2025-10-23T11:17:02","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T15:17:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nba-stars-and-coach-among-31-arrested-in-fbi-sports-betting-crackdown\/"},"modified":"2025-10-23T11:22:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T15:22:37","slug":"nba-stars-and-coach-among-31-arrested-in-fbi-sports-betting-crackdown","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nba-stars-and-coach-among-31-arrested-in-fbi-sports-betting-crackdown\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA stars and coach among 31 arrested in FBI sports betting crackdown"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnba-stars-and-coach-among-31-arrested-in-fbi-sports-betting-crackdown%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2502249&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The FBI has arrested 31 individuals, including several current and former NBA players and coaches, in a large-scale federal examination targeting organized illegal gambling linked to the La Cosa Nostra crime families. Among those arrested are Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former player and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/he-won-a-super-bowl-and-then-joined-the-101st-airborne-division-the-incredible-true-story-of-jake-bequette\/\" title=\"He Won A Super Bowl And Then Joined The 101st Airborne Division: The Incredible True Story Of Jake Bequette\">assistant coach<\/a> Damon Jones. the investigation, named Operation Zhen Diagram, revealed a nationwide gambling ring involved in rigged poker games, sports betting manipulation, and cryptocurrency laundering, defrauding victims of tens of millions of dollars over several years. Federal prosecutors have filed indictments against multiple defendants for using insider NBA details and running fixed games. The FBI used thousands of recorded calls and undercover operations featuring cheating devices to expose the criminal network. The case also intersects with a separate investigation into fixed NCAA basketball games. Terry Rozier&#8217;s attorney condemned the arrest as a publicity stunt, asserting his client&#8217;s innocence and reference to a prior NBA clearance. The inquiry remains ongoing, with potential for further arrests.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">NBA stars, coach among 31 arrested in FBI sports betting crackdown: &lsquo;The fraud is mind boggling&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2377744\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>FBI Director<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kash-patel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Kash Patel<\/a> announced Thursday that 31 people, including several current and former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/NBA\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NBA<\/a> figures, were arrested as part of a sweeping federal investigation into <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >organized gambling operations linked<\/a> to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/investigations\/3272489\/pro-dem-union-employs-family-leader-high-paying-jobs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">La Cosa Nostra<\/a> crime families.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As you now know, individuals such as Chauncey, Billups, Damon Jones, and Terry Rozier were taken into custody today &mdash; former, current NBA players and coaches,&rdquo; Patel said. &ldquo;What you don&rsquo;t know is that this is an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-sheriff-charged-in-public-corruption-illegal-gambling-scheme-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Florida sheriff charged in public corruption, illegal gambling scheme ... Washington Examiner\">illegal gambling operation<\/a> and sports rigging operation that spanned the course of years. The FBI led a coordinated take-down across 11 states to arrest over 30 individuals today responsible for this case, which is very much ongoing.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3859607\/trump-administration-argues-no-time-limit-on-power-to-deploy-national-guard\/\">Trump administration argues no time-limit on power to deploy National Guard<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3859663\/jack-smith-lawyers-say-media-reports-prompted-subpoena-gop-lawmakers\/\">Jack Smith lawyers admit media reports prompted phone records subpoena of GOP lawmakers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3859154\/pirro-blasts-bidens-dc-prosecutor-for-failing-prosecute-crimes\/\">Pirro blasts Biden&rsquo;s D.C. prosecutor for failing to prosecute 65% of crimes<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">FILE &ndash; This photo combo shows from left, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups.  (AP Photo\/File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Among those arrested were Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones. The FBI said the investigation, Operation Zhen Diagram, uncovered a nationwide gambling ring that defrauded victims of millions of dollars through poker schemes, sports betting manipulation, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/cryptocurrency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cryptocurrency<\/a> laundering.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3837353\/republicans-are-pushing-these-five-democrats-to-flip-on-funding-bill\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">REPUBLICANS ARE PUSHING THESE FIVE DEMOCRATS TO FLIP ON FUNDING BILL<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Federal prosecutors announced two major indictments shortly after 10 a.m. in New York, one charging six people with using insider NBA information in a sports betting conspiracy, and another charging 31 defendants, including former athletes, with running rigged poker games tied to the Gambino and Genovese crime families. Three men, Damon Jones, Eric Earnest, and Shane Henning, were charged in both cases.<\/p>\n<p>The bureau&rsquo;s evidence included over 3,000 recorded phone calls and meetings with alleged conspirators. Undercover agents, Patel said, participated in a rigged poker game that used cheating devices, such as altered shuffling machines, to expose the ring&rsquo;s methods.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The fraud is mind-boggling,&rdquo; Patel said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not hundreds of dollars, it&rsquo;s not thousands of dollars, it&rsquo;s not tens of thousands of dollars. It&rsquo;s not even millions of dollars. We&rsquo;re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fda-investigation-into-juul-could-vaporize-e-cigarette-giant\/\" title=\"FDA ... Into Juul Could Vaporize E...Cigarette Giant\">multi-year investigation<\/a>, and we could not have done it without our interagency partners that are before us today.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Rozier&rsquo;s arrest was tied to allegations of manipulating in-game statistics to benefit betting operations, while Billups was accused of participating in illicit poker events connected to the criminal network. Jones allegedly passed insider information to co-conspirators while working as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI said the gambling operation overlapped with a parallel investigation, dubbed Operation Nothing But Bet, targeting fixed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ncaa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NCAA<\/a> basketball games. Both inquiries have reportedly exposed ties between professional athletes and long-standing organized crime entities.<\/p>\n<p>Rozier&rsquo;s attorney, James Trusty of Ifrah Law PLLC, condemned the arrest in a statement to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, calling it a &ldquo;photo op&rdquo; orchestrated to embarrass his client.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk,&rdquo; Trusty said. &ldquo;They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing. Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3861165\/watch-live-fbi-hold-press-conference-arrest-terry-rozier-sports-gambling-probe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>WATCH LIVE: FBI HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER ARREST OF TERRY ROZIER IN SPORTS GAMBLING PROBE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Rozier did not play in the Miami Heat&rsquo;s game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night, while Billups was on the bench for the Trail Blazers&rsquo; matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves shortly before his arrest. Billups and Rozier are expected to make their first appearances in federal court in Portland and Orlando, respectively, on Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n<p>Federal officials said proceeds from the illegal betting operation were laundered through shell companies and converted to cryptocurrency to avoid detection. The FBI said the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blm-protesters-bust-barricade-around-rochester-police-station-block-road-following-incident-with-9-year-old\/\" title=\"BLM Protesters Bust Barricade Around Rochester Police Station, Block Road Following Incident With 9...Year...Old\">investigation remains ongoing<\/a> and declined to comment on whether more arrests are expected.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>31 NBA figures arrested in FBI sports betting fraud probe<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2502250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25296483801349.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[50645,7873,32918],"class_list":["post-2502249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-fbi-2","tag-nba","tag-sports-betting"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AP25296483801349.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2502249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2502249"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2502249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2502257,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2502249\/revisions\/2502257"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2502250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2502249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2502249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2502249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}