- Portland Trailblazers head coach and NBA hall of famer Chauncey Billups was one of 31 people arrested for his involvement in an underground poker ring.
- Billups and another former NBA player, Damon Jones, are accused of colluding with mafia families to bring players to illegal home poker games.
- The sophisticated operation featured x-ray equipped poker tables, rigged card shufflers, and eyewear equipped with sensors to swindle millions of dollars.
NEW YORK – NBA hall of famer and head coach Chauncey Billups is allegedly a key piece in the mafia-ran underground poker ring that stole millions from players. Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones served as the eye candy to lure players to illegal home poker games flooded with rigged equipment including the tables, card shufflers, and more.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 31 people were charged in the illegal poker games. Some notable names that were arrested from the rigged poker game include:
Illegal poker games are common across many states with poker, but this situation is different. While most prohibited home games feature fair poker, these New York poker games featured a meticulous cheating scheme using rigged mechanical shufflers so players involved knew what cards were coming and which player had the winning hand.
“Today over 30 people were arrested and charged for their alleged roles in criminal schemes to rig illegal poker games to win large amounts of money. These individuals used technology and deceit to scam innocent victims out of millions of dollars – eventually funneling money to La Casa Nostra and enriching one of the most notorious criminal networks in the world,” stated FBI Director Patel.
Chauncey Billups Role In Illegal Poker Cheating Scheme
Based on information from the Department of Justice, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones were used as “face cards” to attract players to the games. While Billups lawyer denies the charges against his client, his presence at the game was enough to lure players to believe the games were legit.