Overview
- Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York unsealed related cases that charge 34 defendants, naming Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones in insider-betting and rigged poker schemes.
- Court filings detail a Jones text urging a wager on Milwaukee hours before a Feb. 9, 2023 Lakers game, referencing LeBron James as “Player 3” before his absence became public.
- Prosecutors also cite a Jan. 15, 2024 tip about a top Lakers player’s limited minutes that matches Anthony Davis, noting a $2,500 payment to Jones and a failed $100,000 bet by a co-defendant.
- Rozier is alleged to have signaled an early exit on March 23, 2023 to influence prop bets, while Billups is charged in a mafia-linked poker ring that used high-tech cheating devices.
- The NBA placed Billups and Rozier on leave and says it is cooperating with investigators, with the Lakers holding team meetings on gambling rules as officials characterize the fraud as involving tens of millions of dollars.