The head coach of an National Basketball Association (NBA) team, a basketballer athlete and members of the alleged crime families were part of more than thirty people arrested in an FBI crackdown on illegal sports betting and rigged poker games.
Chauncey Billups, the head coach of Portland Trail Blazers and Terrry Rozier a Miami Heat point guard were part of the 34 people arrested and charged by the FBI on Thursday.
Both NBA members were implicated in seperate but related cases involving rigged pokwe games that were backed by the Mafia.
FBI Director Kash Patel revealed this in a press conference held in New York on Thursday adding that many former professional athletes were involved in the nationwide scheme.
The investigations included alleged illegal and rigged gambling activities in which the perpetrators used special technology including contact lenses to read cards, manipulate shuffles, and communicate with others
In one case, NBA player Terry Rozier is suspected to have feigned an injury during a game, information he is alleged to have passed on before the game started.
New York City police commissioner Jessica Tisch and U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella also spoke at the joint press conference revealing details in the case.
The NBA reacting to the arrests in a statement said it was fully cooperating with investigations.
"Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities.
We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.” it said.
The BBC has published a statement from Attorney James Trusty representing NBA star Rozier denying the allegations and saying Rozier will fight the charges.
In the statement, he questioned the motive of the FBI saying that the agency "opted for a photo op."
"It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self surrender they opted for a photo op.
They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case". the statement read.
Some other athletes who were indicted in the FBI investigation include:
Eric Earnest: also known as "Spook"
Marves Fairley: also known as "Vez", "Vezino" and "Vezino Locks"
Shane Hennen: also known as "Sugar"
Damon Jones: alson known as "D Jones" and "Dee Jones"
Deniro Laster: also known as "Niro", "Payso" and "Peso"
Terry Rozier: also known as "Scary Terry" and "Chum"
Nelson Alvarez: also known as "Spanish G"
Ammar Awawdeh: also known as "Flapper Poker" and "Flappy"
Matthew Daddino: also known as "The Wrestler"
The National Basketball Players Association representing current professional basketball players has reacted to news of the indictments calling for "due process".
“The integrity of the game is paramount to NBA players, but so is the presumption of innocence, and both are hindered when player popularity is misused to gain attention," a spokesperson said to the BBC.
China’s ruling Communist Party is stepping up oversight of technology firms, internet platforms and digital finance in a sweeping drive to ta...
A wave of bomb threats targeting passenger flights has disrupted air travel across Europe, forcing diversions, airport closures and fighter jet esc...
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington will end its annual financial and military aid to Israel by the end of 2026, under an agreement he clai...
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says the U.S. must act to prevent war after Tehran sent a “strong and rational response” to Washington. Meanwhile, U.S. forces have reportedly carried out limited strikes against Iranian targets, including Qeshm Island,
Hundreds of millions of U.S. citizens head to the polls on 3 November to elect the House of Representatives and Senate. How they vote could influence the direction of Donald Trump’s remaining 26 months in office and the outcomes of the Ukraine and Iran conflicts.
A six-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Russian-held Ukrainian town of Oleshky ended on Sunday, 1 November, after facilitating aid deliveries and civilian evacuations.
Kyrgyzstan has emerged as Central Asia’s fastest-growing economy, fuelled by a construction boom, public investment and trade linked to Russia. But with Western sanctions tightening, can the country sustain its rapid growth?
Russia airstrikes on a school used as a humanitarian aid distribution point in southeastern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region killed at least 26 people, including rescue workers and police officers, Ukrainian officials said. Another 27 people were reported missing.
China’s ruling Communist Party is stepping up oversight of technology firms, internet platforms and digital finance in a sweeping drive to tackle corruption and tighten control over the country’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
A wave of bomb threats targeting passenger flights has disrupted air travel across Europe, forcing diversions, airport closures and fighter jet escorts. No explosives have been found, raising questions about who is behind the alerts and whether the disruption itself is the goal.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington will end its annual financial and military aid to Israel by the end of 2026, under an agreement he claims to have reached with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that Ukraine's negotiators will meet with Russian and U.S. delegations in Abu Dhabi next week for the first peace talks mediated by Washington since February.
Spanish police are investigating the death of Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel, who died after a collision with an opposing goalkeeper during a second-division football match. The case raises questions about when an on-field challenge can become a criminal offence.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment