Signals, face cards, rigged poker games, and wire trails reveal new NBA scandal details

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Federal prosecutors have shared new particulars about what they are saying was a nationwide gambling ring involving NBA figures Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones. In a detention letter filed in federal courtroom, they describe superior dishonest expertise, using former NBA professional athletes to attract in victims, actual time teaching throughout video games, and a cash path that allegedly despatched $50,000 to Billups after a rigged poker sport in 2020.

FBI Director Kash Patel introduced the costs throughout an October 23 information convention in New York, calling the arrests “historic” and tying the operation to La Cosa Nostra. United States Lawyer Joseph Nocella stated the conduct amounted to “one of the vital brazen sports activities corruption schemes since on-line sports activities betting grew to become extensively legalized,” alleging that confidential NBA info was misused and that victims misplaced thousands and thousands in mounted poker video games.

NBA stars’ alleged position in rigged poker video games and high-tech dishonest

In line with the detention letter, as reviewed by ReadWrite, the playing scheme relied on a variety of hidden applied sciences. Moreover altered shuffling machines and X-ray poker tables, prosecutors stated the conspirators additionally used a poker chip tray analyzer that secretly learn playing cards with hidden cameras.

Images exhibiting a poker desk setup and a digital camera feed capturing card info. Credit score: United States v. Ernest Aiello, et al. Felony Docket

The modified machines had been designed to learn playing cards in actual time and ship that info to operators who weren’t on web site. The letter says the shufflers had been altered to “learn the playing cards within the deck, predict which participant on the desk had the perfect poker hand, and relay that info by way of interstate wires to an off web site operator.” The operator would then message a participant on the desk referred to as the Quarterback, who would sign the remainder of the dishonest staff.

‘Sign guide’ for real-time dishonest

One poker sport in Miami in September 2024 even got here with a transparent checklist of bodily alerts that was shared beforehand.

A blue chat message screen labeled “John Mazzola” displaying a list of short phrases: “Mikey 1k,” “Chad Green,” “Lex 500,” “G chin,” “Mazz tap wrist or arm,” and “Black = fold,” with a timestamp reading “Read: 9/26/2024 2:44:13 AM (UTC+0).” — Message itemizing poker sign codes, as displayed in a chat from September 2024. Credit score: United States v. Ernest Aiello, et al. Felony Docket

Because the doc explains: “For instance, the above textual content message indicated that if defendant RENZULLI (Mikey) had the perfect hand, the Quarterback (on this case, MAZZOLA) would contact the 1,000 poker chip; if defendant ALVAREZ (G) had the perfect hand, the Quarterback would faucet his chin; if defendant MAZZOLA (Mazz) had the perfect hand, he would faucet his wrist or arm. If the sufferer had the perfect hand, the Quarterback would contact his black chips, by which case the conspirators would fold to keep away from dropping cash to the sufferer.”

Face Playing cards

Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones 'arrested by FBI' amid illegal gambling probe — Warmth guard Terry Rozier, Portland Path Blazers Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones had been all arrested as a part of the FBI probe. Credit score: Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0

The federal government says former NBA gamers had been introduced in to assist lure rich victims into these video games. In line with the letter, “BILLUPS and JONES, specifically, served as Face Playing cards, that means they had been utilized to draw victims to the video games due to their standing as former skilled athletes.”

Alleged wire path to Chauncey Billups

Prosecutors additionally laid out a cash path they are saying adopted a 2020 sport that concerned Billups. They wrote: “Following one other rigged sport in late October 2020 by which BILLUPS participated, financial institution information present that STROUD (via his firm Lil Robbie Productions LLC) wired WEI 50,000 {dollars}, who, in flip, wired the 50,000 {dollars} on to BILLUPS.”

Assertion from Chauncey Billups' lawyer to ESPN, making clear that Billups, like Terry Rozier, will combat the FBI's expenses: pic.twitter.com/YCugGaXiiZ

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 24, 2025

In a press release despatched to ESPN, Chris Heywood, an lawyer for Billups, confused that Billups would by no means “cheat and defraud others.”

“Anybody who is aware of Chauncey Billups is aware of he’s a person of integrity; males of integrity don’t cheat and defraud others.

“To imagine that Chauncey Billups did what the federal authorities is accusing him of is to imagine that he would threat his hall-of-fame legacy, his status, and his freedom. He wouldn’t jeopardize these issues for something, not to mention a card sport.

“Moreover, Chauncey Billups has by no means and would by no means gamble on basketball video games, present insider info, or sacrifice the belief of his staff and the League, as it will tarnish the sport he has devoted his complete life to.

“Chauncey Billups has by no means backed down. He doesn’t plan to take action now. He’ll combat these allegations with the identical tenacity that marked his 28-year profession. We look ahead to our day in courtroom.”

Claims about Damon Jones’ position

Damon Jones, one other former NBA participant, is portrayed as each a recruiter and an lively cheater. Prosecutors say that earlier than a rigged game in East Hampton, “defendant JONES requested STROUD for fee even earlier than the sport began… STROUD despatched 2,500 {dollars} to JONES by way of Zelle the identical day.”

A blue chat message screen labeled “Dee Jones” showing a text asking for a wire transfer and requesting a $10,000 advance, followed by a timestamp reading “Read: 9/19/2023 9:48:59 PM (UTC+0).” — Message requesting an advance fee, proven in a September 2023 chat. Credit score: United States v. Ernest Aiello, et al. Felony Docket

A number of days later, throughout the identical stretch of video games, Jones was getting directions whereas he performed. The doc says: “Messages present that defendant GOODSON (Tony in Macon) coached JONES in actual time on the best way to cheat by instructing him to concentrate to defendants AWAWDEH (whom he likened to NBA All Star Stephen Steph Curry) and GARZON (whom he in comparison with NBA All Star Lebron Bron James), and, in case of doubt, to fold his hand.” Jones responded: “yall know I do know what Im doing!!”

The detention letter additionally links the operation to the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese crime families. Prosecutors wrote that a number of of the areas used for poker video games had been already identified to be related to organized crime teams and that these teams “took a share of the felony proceeds” from the rigged video games.

In line with Nocella, the operation started in 2019 and spanned areas from the Hamptons to Las Vegas, Miami, and Manhattan. He stated the NBA is cooperating with the investigation.

ReadWrite has contacted the authorized representatives for Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones for remark.

Featured picture: Canva

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