With the NBA season kicking off just weeks ago, the league is already facing problems with both players and coaches. Former Pistons guard and current head coach of the Portland Trailblazers Chauncey Billups, who helped bring home the last championship Detroit has seen, was arrested on Thursday, Oct. 23 as one of the main suspects in a FBI investigation tied to illegal gambling schemes including rigged poker games, which were connected to organized crime. Alongside this, the extensive case revealed another NBA player being involved in fraudulent schemes. Miami Heat point guard Terry Rosier, was giving away non-public information to betters, pulling himself out of a game to make his ‘unders’ hit so that the betters would profit.
Shortly after the arrests, the FBI held a press conference, where FBI director Kash Patel spoke out about his investigators work during this investigation. They cracked down on several illegal activities during this multi-year investigation.
“The FBI led a coordinated take down across 11 states to arrest over 30 individuals today responsible for this case, which is very much ongoing,” Patel said. “The charges and the arrests that were taken down across this country range from wire fraud, money laundering, extrusion, robbery and illegal gambling.”
Patel went on to discuss how the NBA is an entertainment industry, and with that title, it must be fair and secure. Patel believes the amount of money that was stolen is overwhelming and is shocked at the crime that was going on at a professional sporting level.
“And the fraud is mindboggling, it’s not hundreds of dollars… we’re talking about tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery,” Patel said. “This is an operation that showcases to you that under President Trump’ s administration, there is no room for any type of criminal behavior, being on the world’s largest stage, or in the backrooms of tiny parlors where card games are being played.”
After speaking, Patel introduced United States attorney, Joseph Nocella, Jr. to the microphone. Nocella Jr. announced the federal indictment against Billups, and shared a message to all the defendants accused of these crimes.
“Your winning streak has ended, your luck has run out,” Nocella said. “Violating the law is a losing proposition, and you can bet on that.”
