Justice Department expects to extend plea deals to 12 in NBA-Mafia rigged poker case
Justice Department Plans to Expand Plea Deals in NBA-Mafia Poker Scandal
As revealed in a court filing submitted Tuesday, federal prosecutors anticipate broadening plea agreements to include 12 individuals in the ongoing investigation linked to mob-connected poker games. The document, filed ahead of a status conference scheduled for Wednesday, does not clarify which specific defendants are likely to accept the deals but highlights the government’s intention to secure settlements with nearly half of those charged in the case.
Case Overview
Over 30 people were indicted in two separate gambling operations last year, one involving alleged Mafia-backed poker game manipulation and the other centering on insider information used for NBA betting. Among the accused are members of four prominent Mafia families, along with Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and ex-NBA player Damon Jones. The indictment identifies “face cards”—well-known athletes—as key figures in the scheme.
These “face cards” were reportedly employed to attract affluent victims to the rigged games, according to the government’s filings. Billups and Jones are described as part of “cheating teams” that profited from the illicit activities. The case also involves multiple charges, including money laundering and wire fraud, against some defendants.
Plea Deal Progress
Prosecutors informed U.S. District Judge Ramon Reyes during a Tuesday meeting that they are “reasonably optimistic” about securing plea agreements with nine additional defendants. The government has engaged in “productive conversations” with their legal representatives, suggesting a possible shift toward resolving cases through settlements rather than proceeding to trial.
“The government ‘expects to extend formal plea agreements’ to a significant portion of the defendants in the coming days,” the filing stated.
Meanwhile, all indicted individuals are required to attend a status conference in Brooklyn on Wednesday. Billups, who has already pleaded not guilty to money laundering and wire fraud charges, remains a focal point of the trial. Jones, accused of benefiting from fixed poker games and providing inside information to bettors, also entered not guilty pleas in separate cases.
Discovery Materials
Since November, the government has shared discovery materials incrementally, including data from seven electronic devices, over 100,000 pages of financial and phone records, and more than 800 surveillance photographs. The evidence also encompasses pole camera footage from a suspected poker location and several terabytes of data from iCloud accounts and other digital sources.
Chloe Atkins, a reporter for the NBC News National Security and Law Unit based in New York, contributed to the report. Tom Winter serves as NBC’s National Law Enforcement and Intelligence Correspondent.
