An NBA player and coach are among dozens of people arrested as part of a sweeping FBI investigation into illegal sports betting and allegedly rigged, mafia-linked poker games.
Miami Heat player Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were named by federal prosecutors in two separate indictments on Thursday.
Rozier, 31, is among six people arrested over alleged betting irregularities. They include NBA players accused of faking injuries to influence gambling markets.
Billups, a Hall of Fame player who has coached the Portland Trail Blazers since 2021, is one of 31 people charged in a separate illegal poker game case involving retired players and the mafia.
Prosecutors said the first case involved players and associates who allegedly used information not available to the public to manipulate bets on major gambling platforms.
Nocella called it one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized. Seven NBA games between February 2023 and March 2024 have been identified as part of the case.
FBI Director Kash Patel held a news conference where he announced these indictments, referring to the arrests as extraordinary and emphasizing the scale of fraud and theft involved.
The NBA has stated it is taking the situation seriously and has placed Rozier and Billups on immediate leave pending further review.
