NBA Coach Chauncey Billups Pleads Not Guilty in Alleged Rigged Poker Games Scheme

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty on Nov. 24 to charges stemming from a rigged poker games case.

Billups, who was arrested on Oct. 23, has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.

The alleged scheme, which began in at least 2019 and stretched throughout the United States, involved members of the Genovese, Gambino, and Bonanno crime families.

Billups’s attorney, Chris Heywood, denied that Billups was part of the alleged crimes, which allegedly defrauded victims out of $7.15 million.

“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game,” he said after Billups appeared in federal court in Portland, Oregon, on Oct. 23.

The weekly poker games allegedly consisted of using advanced wireless technologies that showed the cards dealt to the non-cheating teams, which allowed the cheating teams to win, according to the indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Billups, 49, was one of 30 defendants charged in the alleged scheme. Former NBA player Damon Jones was also indicted. Jones was also charged in connection with a separate illegal gambling operation that allegedly included Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.

After a rigged game in 2020, Billups received $50,000, according to prosecutors.

“Using the allure of high-stakes winnings and the promise to play alongside well-known professional athletes, these defendants allegedly defrauded unwitting victims out of tens of millions of dollars and established a financial pipeline to La Cosa Nostra,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher Raia in a statement.

“This alleged scheme wreaked havoc across the nation, exploiting the notoriety of some and the wallets of others to finance the Italian crime families.”

Billups, who has been put on unpaid leave from the Trail Blazers, played in the NBA for 17 years and suited up for the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Clippers.

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last year.

In an Oct. 23 statement, the NBA said it is reviewing the indictments and that Rozier and Billups have been placed on leave from their respective teams. The league also said that it would cooperate with investigators.

“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the NBA said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.