Overview
- The Portland Trail Blazers coach entered a not guilty plea in Brooklyn to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy tied to allegedly rigged underground poker games.
- Judge Ramon Reyes released Billups on a $5 million bond secured by his Colorado home with conditions that include no gambling, no contact with co-defendants or alleged victims, surrender of his passport, and travel limits.
- At a status conference for 31 defendants, prosecutors said some plea negotiations are underway, the judge signaled a goal of starting trial by next September, and the court kept the case consolidated for now.
- Prosecutors allege the operation defrauded victims of roughly $7 million since 2019 using altered shufflers, hidden cameras, marked decks, special lenses, and X‑ray tables at games in Manhattan, Las Vegas, Miami, and the Hamptons, with proceeds shared with Gambino, Genovese, and Bonanno families.
- Filings cite a $50,000 wire to Billups after an October 2020 game, and he remains on unpaid leave from the Trail Blazers with Tiago Splitter serving as interim coach.