Sports fans, gambling professionals, and the public have all been shocked by the recent revelations associated with the arrests of multiple former NBA players and coaches. According to police records, this group, made up of more than 30 individuals, was making millions of dollars a year by rigging poker games, working alongside the Mafia, and intentionally throwing games for betting purposes.

Chauncey Billups, the head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Terry Rozier, a guard for the Miami Heat, were both arrested for their involvement in the multi-pronged sports betting and poker game scam. Records suggest that both men are being charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering.

At least six of the 30 individuals who were arrested are accused of participating in a betting conspiracy surrounding the NBA. Records show that specific individuals were gaining confidential information about NBA athletes and teams from insiders and then using that knowledge to make sizable bets. In some brazen cases, NBA players intentionally threw games, altered their performance, or left the game due to “injuries” after coordinating to do so with betters before the game.

In one specific instance, police believe Terry Rozier told people he was planning on leaving a Hornets game early with an injury, which allowed them to place bets and win thousands of dollars.

Along with sports betting, many of the accused individuals are also tied to rigged and illegal poker games. In these games, unknowing victims would pay good money to play poker games with former professional athletes. On the surface, these poker games seemed legitimate, but investigators discovered that the culprits were using advanced technology to rig each one.

Detectives discovered that Mafia families, including La Cosa Nostra, were providing professional athletes with card shuffling technology, special glasses, x-ray technology, and more that helped them consistently win millions of dollars.

Some of the profits won in these games went back into La Cosa Nostra gangs and supported violent activity. For this reason, it is possible for the accused individuals to potentially get charged under the RICO Act.

What to Do If You’re Accused of Participating in Organized Crime

Here at Bukh Law Firm, PLLC, our team has extensive experience defending our clients against various types of RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) offenses.

Under federal law, being involved with La Cosa Nostra (the American Mafia) is punishable under the RICO Act because this specific legislation was created specifically for the purpose of fighting these types of organized criminal gangs. That said, it’s likely that prosecutors may decide to use the RICO Act to pursue additional charges against the individuals involved with the Mafia-related poker schemes.

Have you or a loved one recently been accused of participating in organized crime? If so, then it’s important that you hire an experienced, qualified attorney as soon as possible.

Contact our team today for a free case evaluation by leaving your contact information on our online form. A member of our legal team will reach out to you soon.