Portland Trail Blazers Coach Chauncey Billups Denies Rigged Poker Games Charges, Pleads Not Guilty
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Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, a Basketball Hall of Famer, has pleaded not guilty to charges of profiting from rigged poker games involving organized crime figures and another ex-NBA player. The charges include money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Billups, a five-time NBA All-Star, was arraigned in a federal court in Brooklyn on Monday. Prosecutors claim he was involved in a scheme to rig poker games in Manhattan, Las Vegas, Miami, and the Hamptons, and that he received a portion of the ill-gotten gains. The alleged scheme defrauded victims of an estimated $7 million starting in 2019. Billups' lawyer, Marc Mukasey, entered his plea, and he was released on a $5 million bond secured by his family's Colorado home. He must refrain from gambling, avoid contact with other defendants or alleged victims, and limit travel to seven states. The case involves over 30 people, including ex-NBA player Damon Jones, who was charged in the poker scheme and another separate scheme to exploit insider information about players for sports betting. Prosecutors say the poker-rigging scheme used altered card-shuffling machines, hidden cameras, and other methods to defraud victims. Billups, 49, was hired as Portland's coach in 2021 and signed a multiyear extension with the Trail Blazers earlier this year. He was placed on unpaid leave after his arrest and the team named assistant coach Tiago Splitter as interim coach. The case is set to go to trial by next September, with prosecutors saying plea negotiations have begun with some defendants. Billups' reputation and Hall of Fame legacy are at risk, with his lawyer calling him a 'man of integrity' who denies the allegations.
