Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier are among more than 30 individuals charged in connection with illegal sports betting and Mafia-backed poker schemes, U.S. authorities announced on Thursday.
Prosecutors allege Rozier participated in an illegal betting ring that used confidential NBA information, while Billups was indicted separately for allegedly helping to rig underground poker games financed by organized crime families.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said the indictments stem from two major investigations — one into insider sports betting and another into rigged poker operations — which he described as among the most significant sports corruption cases since online wagering became legal nationwide.
“It is one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States,” Nocella said.
The sports betting case names six defendants accused of exploiting private information about NBA players and teams for profit. In some instances, players allegedly altered their performance or exited games early to influence outcomes, said New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
According to the indictment, Rozier, while playing for the Charlotte Hornets, told associates he intended to leave a March 2023 game early with a “supposed injury,” allowing others to place bets that yielded substantial winnings.
The document lists nine unnamed co-conspirators, including a former NBA player and current coach believed to be Billups, as well as a relative of Rozier.
Prosecutors said Rozier and others “had access to private information known by NBA players or NBA coaches” and shared it in exchange for either flat fees or a share of betting profits.
The NBA, which had previously investigated Rozier, declined immediate comment.
Rozier was in uniform for Miami’s season opener in Orlando on Wednesday but did not play. He was arrested early Thursday morning in Orlando. The Heat have not commented on his arrest.
Trusty previously told ESPN that Rozier had been cleared of wrongdoing after a 2023 meeting with NBA and FBI officials. Billups could not be reached for comment.
The Brooklyn U.S. attorney’s office, which earlier prosecuted ex-Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter for similar conduct, is handling the case.
Porter pleaded guilty earlier this year to withdrawing from games under false pretenses to help associates profit from bets on his underperformance.
Billups, 49, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024. A five-time All-Star and 2004 NBA Finals MVP, he led the Detroit Pistons to their third championship and earned the league’s sportsmanship award in 2009.
He is currently in his fifth season as head coach of the Trail Blazers, who opened with a 118–114 loss to Minnesota on Wednesday.
The March 23, 2023, Hornets–Pelicans game cited in the indictment shows Rozier playing just 9 minutes and 36 seconds before exiting with a foot injury.
Though Charlotte was already eliminated from playoff contention, bettors later accused sportsbooks online of ignoring suspicious betting activity surrounding Rozier’s prop wagers.
Prop bets allow gamblers to wager on whether players will exceed specific statistical totals such as points, rebounds, or assists, a popular feature of modern sports betting now under scrutiny by federal investigators.
