Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering in connection with a mob-backed poker rigging operation, federal authorities announced. Billups was arrested in Oregon and is also linked to a separate sports betting scheme with insider information about Blazers games.
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Hu said. Prosecutors requested substantial bail conditions, noting that Billups has significant financial resources.
Billups is scheduled to appear in federal court in Brooklyn on November 24. He has surrendered his passport and must secure a significant bond, with travel limited to Oregon and Colorado and all gambling-related activities banned.
A co-conspirator described in the indictment with details matching Billups allegedly told a bettor that multiple Blazers starters would miss a March 24, 2023 game against the Chicago Bulls. Four regular Portland starters did not play as the Trail Blazers lost by 28 points.
Although Billups was not named in the sports betting indictment, the description of “Co-Conspirator 8” matches his playing and coaching career, authorities said.
In the poker case, Billups and Damon Jones are accused of using their celebrity status to lure victims to rigged games backed by mob families, prosecutors said. The operation is said to have used sliding machines that read cards, hidden cameras in chip trays, special contact lenses and X-ray tables.
Acting as a “face card” in the scheme, Billups took part in a rigged game in Las Vegas in April 2019 that defrauded victims of at least $50,000. According to court documents, he was wired $50,000 after another spoofed game in October 2020.
“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government accuses him of is to believe that he would risk his legacy, his reputation and his freedom,” said attorney Chris Heywood. “Furthermore, Chauncey Billups has never gambled on basketball games, will never provide inside information or sacrifice the trust of his team and the League.”
Blazers assistant Tiago Splitter will serve as interim head coach. The franchise has stated that it will fully cooperate with the investigation.
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