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. Both men deny the allegations.
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 turned coach, is one of 31 people charged in a separate illegal poker game case involving retired players and the mafia.
That case uncovered an alleged scheme to lure victims into playing rigged poker games alongside high-profile sports stars before stealing millions of dollars.
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.
Seven NBA games between February 2023 and March 2024 have been identified as part of the case. Rozier is said to have been involved in one game against the Pelicans, where he was allegedly told his friend he would leave due to injury, leading to significant betting profits for those involved.
The FBI stated charges include robbery, extortion, and wire fraud, resulting in millions swindled from victims, with threats of intimidation used to reclaim lost bets.
Terry Rozier's attorney refuted the claims, indicating that prosecutors rely on unreliable sources rather than evidence, while Billups also vows to contest the accusations in court.
