Hours after Chauncey Billups was arrested as part of a pair of major federal busts, his legal team has a message.
He will not withdraw from the battle.
Billups, a Hall of Fame player and current head coach of the Trail Blazers, was one of three people with NBA ties and 31 in total arrested in connection with two alleged schemes, one involving rigged poker games and the other involving insider sports betting tips.
Heat guard Terry Rozier and former player and coach Damon Jones were also arrested as part of the bomb cases.
Billups and Jones, federal prosecutors allege, were two of the “face cards” used in the mob-backed poker rigging scheme that aimed to attract “fish” to get them to spend big money.
The ring allegedly used technology, including manipulated X-ray card tables, card shuffling machines and special glasses and contact lenses, to cheat.
Billups and Rozier were placed on leave by the NBA.
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Chris Heywood, an attorney for Billups, told ESPN through a statement that the former security guard is a “man of integrity” who plans to fight the case.
The FBI has arrested 31 people involved in a rigged poker gaming ring backed by New York City’s organized crime families.
- Ernest Aiello – reputed Bonanno gangster
- Nelson “Spanish G” Alvarez
- Louis “Lou Ap” Apicella
- Ammar “Flapper Poker” Awawdeh
- Saul Becher – professional poker player
- Chauncey Billups – Portland Trail Blazers coach, NBA Hall of Famer and 2004 NBA Champion
- Matthew “The Wrestler” Daddino
- Eric ‘Spooky’ Serious
- Lee Fama – professional poker player
- Johannes Gallo
- Marco Garzon
- Thomas “Tommy Juice” Gelardo – reputed Lucchese gangster charged in 2013 for beating a porn star girlfriend
- Jamie Gilet
- Tony ‘Black Tony’ Goodson
- Kenny Han
- Shane “Sugar” Hair
- Osman “Albanian Bruce” Hoti
- Horatio Hu
- Zhen “Scruli” Hu
- Damon “Dee Jones” Jones – NBA player from 1998 to 2009
- Joseph Lanni
- John “John South” Mazzola
- Curtis Meeks
- Nicholas Minucci
- Michael Renzulli
- Anthony Ruggero Jr.
- Anthony “Doc” Shnayderman
- Robert ‘Black Rob’ Stroud
- Seth Trustman
- Sophia “Pookie” Wei
- Julius Ziliani
“Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not deceive or deceive others,” Heywood said.
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“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government accuses him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation and his freedom. He would jeopardize those things for nothing, let alone a card game.”
Billups was not named in the sports betting indictment, but “Co-Conspirator 8,” who allegedly passed on a tip about the Blazers’ resting players during a 2023 game, fit his description.
Heywood said Billups never provided inside information to others.
“Furthermore, Chauncey Billups has never gambled on basketball games, will never provide inside information or sacrifice the trust of his team and the League because it would tarnish the game to which he has dedicated his entire life.
“Chauncey Billups has never recused himself. He has no intention of doing so now. He will fight these charges with the same tenacity that characterized his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court.”
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