Chauncey Billups Pleads Not Guilty in NBA Gambling Scandal
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has pleaded not guilty to charges linked to a Mafia-run illegal gambling scheme that has shaken the NBA, according to US media reports.
Billups, a former Detroit Pistons star and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, was arrested over claims he was involved in rigged underground poker games connected to organised crime groups.
He was investigated alongside Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier in an FBI operation that uncovered cheating methods such as X-ray poker tables, hidden cameras and barcoded playing cards. Dozens of other suspects were also arrested.
Both Billups and Rozier have been placed on indefinite leave by the NBA following their arrests. Rozier and former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones were also charged in a separate sports betting case.
Billups faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. He denied the accusations in court on Monday, reports say. He appeared in a Portland federal court before taking part in another brief hearing in Brooklyn, where he was represented by lawyer Marc Mukasey. He has been released on bond.
Prosecutors claim Billups used his status as a well-known former player to attract people to the high-stakes poker games, which were allegedly fixed using “high-tech cheating technology”.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he was “deeply disturbed” by the investigation.
“There’s nothing more important for the league and its fans than the integrity of the competition,” he said, adding that he was sorry the scandal had overshadowed the start of the season.
“I apologise to our fans that we are all dealing with this situation,” Silver said.
