Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups charged in illegal poker operation tied to Mafia: Sources

(MIAMI) — Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been charged in an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia, while Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is among several people charged in a separate but related illegal gambling case, authorities announced on Thursday.

Billups, in his fifth season as head coach, was arrested in Oregon, where he is expected to make an initial court appearance on Thursday, sources said.

The poker games were allegedly rigged in favor of those running the games, using advanced technology, such as rigged shuffling machines and even X-ray technology to read cards facing down on the table, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said.

Christopher Raia, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, called it a “massive, nationwide takedown” of 34 defendants in connection with two separate sports betting and illegal poker schemes.

Among the defendants are current and former NBA coaches and players as well as 13 Mafia members and associates, Raia said.

Billups coached the Trail Blazers in their season opener on Wednesday night, a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Billups was also a star player, mostly for the Detroit Pistons, before retiring in 2014. He was a five-time All-Star in his 17 years in the NBA and led the Pistons to the NBA title in 2004, being named Finals MVP.

He was the No. 3 overall pick in 1997 and finished his career with 15.2 points and 5.4 assists per game.

Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones were charged in a separate case, authorities announced.

They allegedly passed inside information to four co-defendants, who are accused of passing the information to a network of sports bettors, sources said. Those bettors allegedly placed wagers with online sports books or retail betting outlets, which prohibit betting based on nonpublic information.

The indictment included an example from March 23, 2023, when Rozier — then playing for the Charlotte Hornets — allegedly tipped off a co-defendant that he planned to leave the game early with a purported injury, sources said. He left the game nine minutes in. A co-defendant and others allegedly placed $200,000 in wagers, betting Rozier would underperform his statistics.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced the charges at a news conference Thursday, saying over 30 people were arrested in the “historic” and ongoing cases.

Rozier is in his 11th year in the league. He’s appeared in 665 games and has averaged 13.9 points per game over 665 games played. He was a key contributor for the Boston Celtics on playoff runs in 2016-19 before joining the Hornets.

His team opened the 2025 season Wednesday night in Orlando, but Rozier did not play as he deals with a hamstring injury.

Last year, former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to wire fraud and received a lifetime NBA ban after he bet on his team to lose, pretended to be hurt for gambling purposes and shared confidential information with gamblers.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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