PORTLAND, OR (PulseWire) — Chauncey Billups, the Trail Blazers' coach and NBA Hall of Famer, is scheduled to appear in a federal court in Brooklyn, facing charges related to illegal poker games allegedly orchestrated with Mafia connections. Billups, acclaimed for his five-time All-Star status and a championship win with the Detroit Pistons, will respond to accusations of money laundering and participating in a wire fraud conspiracy. Chris Heywood, Billups' attorney, firmly states his client is innocent.
Billups, who became a Hall of Fame member last year, is among over 30 individuals entangled in a federal investigation into illicit gambling operations tailored to professional sports. The court proceedings, where additional defendants are expected, highlight the escalating scrutiny on gambling in the NBA, especially in light of concurrent arrests involving other players like Terry Rozier.
The prosecution asserts Billups played a key role in a scheme that defrauded victims of approximately $7 million since 2019, aiding organized crime by attracting wealthy players to rigged poker sessions across various U.S. hotspots. Notably, effective strategies employed to rig games involved advanced technology and methods, leading to significant losses for unsuspecting participants.
This controversy threatens Billups' credentials—one he maintains he would never jeopardize for gambling. As the NBA grapples with its gambling policies in response to recent scandals, the focus remains on how these incidents might shape the organization and its policies moving forward.
Billups, who became a Hall of Fame member last year, is among over 30 individuals entangled in a federal investigation into illicit gambling operations tailored to professional sports. The court proceedings, where additional defendants are expected, highlight the escalating scrutiny on gambling in the NBA, especially in light of concurrent arrests involving other players like Terry Rozier.
The prosecution asserts Billups played a key role in a scheme that defrauded victims of approximately $7 million since 2019, aiding organized crime by attracting wealthy players to rigged poker sessions across various U.S. hotspots. Notably, effective strategies employed to rig games involved advanced technology and methods, leading to significant losses for unsuspecting participants.
This controversy threatens Billups' credentials—one he maintains he would never jeopardize for gambling. As the NBA grapples with its gambling policies in response to recent scandals, the focus remains on how these incidents might shape the organization and its policies moving forward.
