High-tech tools like X-ray tables and card-reading contact lenses are not just elements of a Hollywood script but key components in a sprawling illegal gambling investigation involving NBA players, coaches, and organized crime.
The FBI’s probe, which has plunged the NBA into disarray, features shocking revelations, according to FBI director Kash Patel, who described the scale of the fraud as “mind-boggling,” involving tens of millions of dollars amassed through fraud, theft, and robbery over several years.
The FBI recently unveiled a significant crackdown on two illicit poker and sports-betting operations linked to Mafia groups, marking a nationwide enforcement effort spanning many years and encompassing wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, and illegal gambling, as detailed in a Brooklyn press conference by Patel.
Let’s delve into the specifics of the allegations.
The Legal Cases
Two major cases are at the forefront of the indictments. One centers on illicit sports betting, while the other focuses on rigged poker games.
In a press briefing, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. disclosed that six individuals face charges related to an insider sports betting conspiracy exploiting confidential NBA information. The second case involves 31 defendants participating in a national scheme to manipulate underground poker games, using technology to defraud players, with ties to Mafia groups.
The Accused
According to U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesperson John Marzulli, 31 individuals are currently in custody, with more expected to surrender. Notable figures among those arrested include NBA Hall of Famer and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones.
Rozier is implicated in an illegal sports betting conspiracy where he allegedly shared confidential NBA information to aid criminal partners in placing bets based on insider tips. Billups faces separate charges related to rigging poker games to deceive unsuspecting players, employing advanced cheating methods like “X-ray tables.”
Both Rozier and Billups are accused of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy and have been placed on immediate leave by the NBA pending legal proceedings.
Deception and Technology
The poker scheme targeted wealthy individuals called “fish,” enticing them to rigged games alongside former athletes known as “face cards.” The indictment reveals that Billups and Jones were among the “face cards” who received a share of the criminal profits.
The rigged games involved sophisticated cheating equipment such as altered card shufflers, an “X-ray” device for reading face-down cards, poker chip tray analyzers, card markers, and special contact lenses or glasses.
The criminal operation involved prominent Mafia families, extorting payments from victims who lost in the rigged games and laundering proceeds through various means, as detailed by prosecutors.
Cheating Tactics Unveiled
The cheating tactics were akin to a movie plot, as noted by CBC’s Kris Reyes. Altered shuffling machines were used to predict the best poker hand and relay information to off-site operators via concealed technology.
Additional cheating methods included electronic chip trays, card analyzers, and marked playing cards visible only with special lenses. Text messages between the defendants revealed orchestrated wins in rigged games, prompting measures to avoid suspicion of cheating.
