Over 30 arrested, including NBA figures Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier, in sweeping FBI operation targeting sports betting and illegal poker networks
The FBI has arrested more than 30 individuals in a pair of connected investigations into illegal gambling, fraud, and money laundering schemes allegedly involving current and former NBA players, organized crime figures, and underground poker operators.
Among those charged are Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and coach Damon Jones.
The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed on Thursday (Oct 23) that two separate indictments were unsealed, one detailing an NBA-related sports betting conspiracy, and another outlining a rigged high-stakes poker network allegedly tied to organized crime.
Who was arrested in the NBA gambling probe?
According to the indictment, the NBA gambling ring involved an insider betting network where players and associates allegedly wagered on games using confidential information about player injuries, lineups, and in-game strategy.
Several individuals were accused of conspiring to commit fraud, illegal gambling, and extortion, with some also linked to the parallel poker scheme.
People named in the NBA gambling indictment
- Eric Earnest (“Spook”)
- Marves Fairley (“Vez,” “Vezino,” or “Vezino Locks”)
- Shane Hennen (“Sugar”)
- Damon Jones (“Dee Jones”)
- Deniro Laster (“Niro,” “Payso,” or “Peso”)
- Terry Rozier (“Scary Terry” or “Chum”)
The indictment claims Rozier and others shared or received insider game data through encrypted messaging apps to place coordinated bets, while Jones and Earnest allegedly acted as intermediaries handling payouts and laundering proceeds through shell accounts.
Who was arrested in the FBI’s ‘rigged poker scheme’?
A second, overlapping investigation exposed a high-stakes underground poker operation that allegedly used hidden cameras and high-tech tools, including an X-ray-enabled poker table, to manipulate outcomes and cheat players out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The poker games reportedly took place in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, often hosted in private mansions or luxury suites frequented by athletes, businessmen, and known organized crime affiliates.
People named in the rigged poker indictment
- Ernest Aiello
- Nelson Alvarez (“Spanish G”)
- Louis Apicella (“Lou Ap”)
- Ammar Awawdeh (“Flapper Poker” or “Flappy”)
- Saul Becher
- Chauncey Billups
- Matthew Daddino (“Matty” or “The Wrestler”)
- Eric Earnest (“Spook”)
- Lee Fama
- John Gallo
- Marco Garzon
- Thomas Gelardo (“Juice”)
- Jamie Gilet
- Tony Goodson (“Black Tony”)
- Kenny Han
- Shane Hennen (“Sugar”)
- Osman Hoti (“Albanian Bruce” or “Big Bruce”)
- Horatio Hu (“H”)
- Zhen Hu (“Jonathan Chan,” “Scruli,” or “Stanley”)
- Damon Jones (“Dee Jones”)
- Joseph Lanni
- John Mazzola (“John South”)
- Curtis Meeks (“Curt”)
- Nicholas Minucci
- Michael Renzulli
- Anthony Ruggiero Jr.
- Anthony Shnayderman (“Doc”)
- Robert Stroud (“Black Rob”)
- Seth Trustman
- Sophia Wei (“Pookie”)
- Julius Ziliani (“Jay”)
Both Billups and Jones are named in this second indictment, suggesting they allegedly participated in or profited from the poker operation.
What the FBI and NBA have said
An FBI spokesperson described the operation as “a sprawling network of corruption that blurred the lines between professional sports, organized gambling, and criminal fraud.”
The NBA has since placed both Billups and Rozier on immediate administrative leave pending further investigation. A league statement said it is “cooperating fully with federal authorities” and has launched an internal ethics review.
Attorneys representing Rozier and Billups issued statements denying wrongdoing, asserting that both men “intend to clear their names.”
What happens next
Those charged face varying counts of wire fraud, conspiracy, illegal gambling, and money laundering, with maximum penalties ranging from five to twenty years in federal prison.
Legal experts note that the involvement of active NBA personnel could trigger disciplinary action under the league’s collective bargaining agreement and gambling policy, which strictly prohibits betting on NBA games by players, coaches, or officials.
Both cases will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which has a long history of tackling organized sports corruption, including the 1978 Boston College basketball point-shaving scandal and the 2015 FIFA bribery case.
TL;DR (Summary)
- Over 30 arrests in two FBI cases: an NBA gambling ring and a rigged poker network.
- Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, and Damon Jones among those charged.
- Allegations include fraud, illegal gambling, and money laundering.
- NBA and FBI conducting parallel investigations; multiple defendants face up to 20 years in prison.
