34 Arrested in NBA Betting, Mafia Poker Probe

Federal authorities arrested and indicted 34 people across 11 states in two multi-year probes into illegal sports betting and Mafia-backed rigged poker games that prosecutors say generated tens of millions of dollars, officials said. FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said one case alleges an insider NBA sports-betting conspiracy in which players provided confidential information or altered performance; six defendants are charged in that scheme and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is accused of tipping that he would leave a game early so associates could profit. The second case alleges a nationwide, Mafia-backed racket to rig underground poker games; Portland coach Chauncey Billups is accused of acting as a “face card” who lured victims into games that used rigged shufflers, X‑ray tables, marked cards and special lenses. Prosecutors say the operations involved members of the Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese and Genovese crime families and include former players such as Damon Jones, who is charged in both matters. The NBA has placed Rozier and Billups on immediate leave, arraignments are pending, and the investigation is ongoing.