Justice Department expects to extend plea deals to 12 in NBA-Mafia rigged poker case
Plea Deals Set to Expand in NBA-Mafia Poker Scandal
According to a court filing, federal prosecutors are anticipated to offer plea agreements to twelve individuals in the complex case tied to alleged Mafia-backed poker games. The document, released on Tuesday, outlines plans to present these deals ahead of a status review scheduled for Wednesday. However, specifics about which defendants will accept the agreements remain undisclosed.
Case Overview and Defendants
The investigation spans two major gambling operations, with over thirty people indicted last year. One case centers on manipulated poker matches, while the other involves insider betting on NBA games. Among the accused are members of four prominent Mafia families, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, and former player Damon Jones. The indictment also highlights the involvement of renowned athletes known as “face cards,” who were used to entice high-profile victims into the fixed games.
Prosecutors stated in the filing that the “face cards,” including Billups and Jones, were part of the “cheating teams” and received a share of criminal proceeds for their roles.
Billups, a Hall of Fame inductee, previously rejected money laundering and wire fraud charges. Jones also denied accusations of profiting from rigged poker games and providing insider information to bettors. Rozier, uncharged in the poker case, faces separate allegations related to sports betting.
As part of the proceedings, the government has been releasing discovery materials since November. These include evidence from seven electronic devices, more than 100,000 financial records, extensive telephone logs, and over 800 surveillance photographs. The filings also mention pole camera footage from a suspected poker location and several terabytes of data from iCloud accounts and devices.
Wednesday’s status conference in Brooklyn will bring all defendants together for updates. Prosecutors indicated they have had constructive discussions with attorneys representing at least nine others, expressing confidence in securing additional plea deals before the trial phase begins.
Chloe Atkins contributes to the NBC News National Security and Law Unit from New York. Tom Winter covers national law enforcement and intelligence matters for NBC.
