NBA Scandal: Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier Arrested for Sports Fraud
Santo Domingo, RD. – An earthquake shakes the basketball world. Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat point guard Terry Rozier have been arrested this Thursday in connection with two federal investigations into illegal sports betting and poker game manipulation. U.S. authorities have confirmed the arrests, which are part of a broad FBI operation spanning 11 states and more than a year of investigation. A total of 34 people have been arrested, with tens of millions of dollars involved.According to the accusation, Rozier allegedly used insider information from the NBA to facilitate bets in favor of an organized crime network, receiving payments and percentages of profits in return. The player was arrested in a hotel in Orlando, Florida, shortly after his team’s defeat against the Orlando Magic, in a game in which he did not participate. On the other hand, Billups faces charges for organizing and manipulating clandestine poker games in Oregon and New York, allegedly with the backing of mafia families. Authorities claim that the accused used advanced technology to defraud the victims, causing millions of dollars in losses. The federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph Nocella Jr., described the cases as “one of the most blatant sports corruption schemes since the legalization of online gambling in the United States.” In addition to Billups and Rozier, among those arrested is former player and former assistant of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Damon Jones, accused of providing inside information about NBA games to others involved. Rozier’s case recalls the scandal that in 2024 led to the expulsion of former player Jontay Porter, of the Toronto Raptors, after admitting to manipulating his performance to benefit sports betting. Billups, NBA champion and Finals MVP with the Detroit Pistons in 2004, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 and renewed his contract with the Trail Blazers last April. Rozier, 31, is in the final season of his four-year, $96.3 million contract. The NBA, through its commissioner Adam Silver, has stated that it is working with betting houses to strengthen controls and prevent manipulation in player betting markets.FBI Director Kash Patel called the case one of the largest sports fraud schemes in the modern era of online betting.
Kash Patel, FBI Director
Both Billups and Rozier will have to appear before federal courts in Oregon and Florida, respectively, in the coming hours.We are learning as we go and adjusting the controls to protect the integrity of the game.
Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner
