Signals, face cards, rigged poker games, and wire trails reveal new NBA scandal details
Federal prosecutors shared new details about what they say is a nationwide gambling ring involving NBA figures Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones. In a detention letter filed in federal court, they describe advanced cheating technology, the use of former professional NBA athletes to lure victims, real-time coaching during games, and a money trail that allegedly sent $50,000 to Billups after a rigged poker game in 2020.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced the charges during a press conference in New York on October 23, describing the arrests as “historic” and linking the operation to the movie “Cosa Nostra.” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella said the conduct amounted to “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legal,” alleging that confidential NBA information was misused and that victims lost millions in fixed poker games.
NBA stars’ alleged role in rigged poker games and high-tech cheating
According to the detention letter, as reviewed by ReadWrite, the gambling system relied on a range of hidden technologies. Besides modified mixing machines and X-ray poker tables, prosecutors said the conspirators also used a poker chip tray analyzer that secretly read cards with hidden cameras.
The modified devices were designed to read cards in real time and send that information to operators who were not on site. The letter says the shufflers were changed to “read the cards in the deck, predict which player at the table has the best poker hand, and transmit this information over interstate wires to an off-site operator.” The operator then sends a message to a player at the table known as the midfielder, who will sign off on the rest of the cheating team.
A “signal book” for real-time cheating
One poker game in Miami in September 2024 even came with an explicit list of physical cues shared beforehand.
As the document explains: “For example, the text message above indicated that if Defendant RENZULLI (Mikey) had the best hand, the midfielder (in this case, MAZZOLA) would touch the 1,000th poker chip; if Defendant ALVAREZ (G) had the best hand, the midfielder would tap his chin; and if Defendant MAZZOLA (Mazz) had the best hand, he would tap his wrist or arm.” If the victim has the best hand, the center player will touch his black chips, in which case the conspirators will back off to avoid losing money to the victim.
Face cards
The government says former NBA players were brought in to help lure wealthy victims to the games. “BILLUPS and JONES, in particular, were face cards, meaning they were used to lure victims into the Games due to their status as former professional athletes,” according to the letter.
Alleged wire trail to Chauncey Billups
Prosecutors also laid out a financial trail that they say follows a 2020 game in which Billups participated. “Following another rigged game in late October 2020 involving BILLUPS, bank records show that STROUD (through his company Lil Robbie Productions LLC) transferred $50,000 to WEI, who then transferred $50,000 directly to BILLUPS,” they wrote.
A statement from Chauncey Billups’ attorney to ESPN, explaining that Billups, like Terry Rozier, will fight the FBI charges: pic.twitter.com/YCugGaXiiZ
– Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 24, 2025
In a statement sent to ESPN, Billups’ attorney, Chris Heywood, emphasized that Billups would never “deceive or defraud others.”
“Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows that he is an honest man; honest men do not cheat or defraud others.
“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government accuses him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not risk those things for anything, let alone a game of blackjack.
“Furthermore, Chauncey Billups has never and will never gamble on basketball games, provide inside information, or sacrifice the trust of his team and the league, because that would tarnish the game to which he has dedicated his entire life.
“Chauncy Billups has never backed down. And he has no intention of doing so now. He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that has defined his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court.”
Claims about Damon Jones’ role
Damon Jones, another former NBA player, is portrayed as a recruiter and an active cheater. Prosecutors say that before a rigged game in East Hampton, “Defendant JONES asked STROUD for payment even before the game started… STROUD sent $2,500 to JONES via Zelle that same day.”
A few days later, during the same period of matches, Jones was receiving play-by-play instructions. “The letters show that Defendant Goodson (Tony V. Macon) coached Jones in real time on how to cheat by instructing him to pay attention to Defendants Awada (whom he compared to All-NBA All-Star Stephen Steph Curry) and Garzon (whom he compared to All-NBA All-Star LeBron James) and, when in doubt, to fold his hand,” the document says. Jones replied: “You know I know what I’m doing!!”
The arrest letter also links the operation to the Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese crime families. Prosecutors wrote that many of the sites used for poker games were already known to be associated with organized crime groups and that those groups “received a percentage of the criminal proceeds” from the rigged games.
According to Notella, the operation began in 2019 and has expanded to locations from the Hamptons to Las Vegas, Miami and Manhattan. He said the NBA is cooperating with the investigation.
ReadWrite has contacted legal representatives for Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones for comment.
Featured image: Canva
The post Cues, face cards, rigged poker games and wire trails reveal details of new NBA scandal appeared first on ReadWrite.
Don’t miss more hot News like this! Click here to discover the latest in Technology news!
2025-10-31 15:45:00
