NBA’s Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and others arrested in gambling investigation with mob ties
The seasons of two NBA members were hit by an unusual lockdown.
According to NBC News, Miami Heat forward Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were among the 31 people arrested on October 23 as part of an illegal gambling investigation the FBI acknowledged in a press conference.
The case includes two counts of fraud, court documents obtained by NBC News show. The first case, which names Rozier as one of six defendants, focuses on an alleged sports betting conspiracy and also includes charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
The second indictment names 31 defendants, including Billups, as part of a federal gambling investigation involving four notorious Mafia families. The felonies include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, operating a related illegal gambling business, and conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and extortion, according to court documents.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the alleged “illegal gambling and sports match-fixing operations” spanned several years and involved tens of millions of dollars in fraud.
