The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has made a series of high-profile arrests, uncovering two large-scale cases of gambling and corruption in professional sports. The detainees include current and former NBA stars and people with ties to the Mafia.
The first investigation concerned insider betting. According to the investigation, Miami Heat player Terry Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player Damon Jones used inside information to manipulate game results and bets.
Jones gave the Mafia data on the state of the team, and Rozier influenced the game by creating “fake injuries”.
The second proceeding involves rigging poker games in which several New York mafia clans participated, according to the FBI.
Among the defendants is the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Chauncey Billups, an NBA legend and member of the Hall of Fame. all of them were “fish” – as the mafia called the victims of its elaborate scheme.
It also involved former professional athletes, whom investigators call “face cards” – their popularity helped attract new players. Famous names include Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones.
They lured wealthy and gullible opponents, for whom the opportunity to sit at the same table with an NBA star seemed an honour and a chance to win big money.
Reuters photo
But the “fish” didn’t stand a chance: the outcome of the game was determined before the first hands.
“It wasn’t a game, it was a play,” said one FBI agent. – Only the script was not written by the players.
Deception technology
The technology used by the Mafia could surprise even heroes and fictitious companies, and part of the profits went to the Mafia.
The victims were mostly famous athletes or wealthy businessmen.
Arrests and investigations
In the summer of 2025, federal agents conducted a large-scale operation in eleven states.
More than 30 people were arrested – among them former and current NBA players and coaches, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat player Terry Rozier, and former basketball player Damon Jones.
The underground poker games case was connected to a broader FBI operation aimed at combating illegal betting and sports corruption.
According to the investigation, Miami Heat player Terry Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player Damon Jones used inside information to manipulate match results and bets.
Jones allegedly passed the station’s data to the Mafia. funding his other operations. Money was laundered through cryptocurrency, cash and shell companies.
Billups and Jones were charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering. Terry Rozier is charged in a separate case involving sports betting. All three have denied their guilt.
Billups’ solicitor Chris Heywood said: “He will fight these charges with the same determination with which he spent 28 years in professional sports.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York emphasised that all defendants remain innocent until the court makes a decision. However, as prosecutor Joseph Nocella noted, “their luck has run out.”
The role of the Mafia today
For most Americans, the word “Mafia” is associated with the era of the 1970s and 1980s – bloody clan wars, murders and i: this is just the tip of the iceberg. The investigation is ongoing and authorities have not ruled out the possibility of further arrests.
NBA response and implications
The NBA has so far refrained from commenting. Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier have been suspended, and the association itself has begun an internal review.
“The integrity of the game is our priority”, the NBA press office said.
However, analysts said, the implications of the case go far beyond basketball. It was a reminder that even in a world of million-dollar contracts and long-term agreements, there is still a place for old schemes – only now they have reached a “high-tech” level.