NEW YORK — Portland Trail Blazers coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges alleging he profited from rigged poker games tied to organized crime and other defendants, including at least one other person with NBA ties.
Billups, a five-time All-Star and the 2004 NBA Finals MVP, was arraigned in Brooklyn on counts of money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy, each of which carries a maximum 20-year sentence. Prosecutors say the scheme involved fixing mob-backed illegal poker games in Manhattan, Las Vegas, Miami and the Hamptons. More than 30 people were charged in a sweep last month; other defendants face counts including running an illegal gambling business, robbery conspiracy and extortion conspiracy. Prosecutors said plea negotiations have begun with some defendants but did not identify them.
U.S. District Judge Ramon Reyes said he hopes to bring the case to trial by next September and urged lawyers to “do what you have to do.” Billups, 49, wore a dark gray suit at the arraignment and answered only yes-or-no questions as his lawyer, Marc Mukasey, entered the plea. After an earlier appearance in late October, another attorney described Billups as a “man of integrity” who denies the allegations.
Billups was released on a $5 million bond secured by his family’s Colorado home. Conditions of release include no gambling, no contact with other defendants or alleged victims, surrendering his passport and limiting travel to seven states — including Oregon and New York — plus Washington, D.C. Billups and co-defendants attended a status conference Monday and are due back in court March 4.
According to prosecutors, the operation used altered shuffling machines, hidden cameras in chip trays, specialized sunglasses and tables with X-ray equipment to read cards, and defrauded victims of roughly $7 million beginning at least in 2019. They allege organizers paid a share of proceeds to the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno crime families and that Mafia members enforced debts through assault, extortion and robbery.
Prosecutors say Billups served as a celebrity “face card” to attract wealthy, unsuspecting players, citing texts in court filings in which a victim appeared “star struck.” They allege Billups received a portion of the proceeds, including a $50,000 wire transfer after a rigged game in October 2020.
Billups earned about $106 million over a 17-year NBA career after being drafted third overall in 1997, playing for several teams and earning the nickname “Mr. Big Shot.” His No. 1 jersey was retired by the Detroit Pistons and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame last year. After retiring in 2014 he worked as a TV analyst and later became Portland’s head coach in 2021; he signed a multiyear extension earlier this year. The Trail Blazers placed him on unpaid leave after his arrest and named assistant coach Tiago Splitter as interim coach.
Also charged in the broader investigation are former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier; prosecutors allege some defendants allowed gamblers to use insider information about players to win NBA bets. All allegations are pending in court.
