BREAKING: CHAUNCEY BILLUPS ARRESTED BY FBI FOR ILLEGAL GAMBLING (5 Viewers)

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SlyPokerDog said:
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Regular Portland starters Damian Lillard (calf tightness), Jusuf Nurkic (sore right knee), Jerami Grant (quad contusion) and Anfernee Simons (sore right foot) did not play against the Bulls. Instead, the Blazers started Ryan Arcidiacono, Matisse Thybulle, Trendon Watford, Drew Eubanks and Sharpe.

www.espn.com

Bulls 124-96 Trail Blazers (Mar 24, 2023) Game Recap - ESPN

Expert recap and game analysis of the Chicago Bulls vs. Portland Trail Blazers NBA game from March 24, 2023 on ESPN.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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If you had asked me to try to list players who would have started a tank game for the Blazers in March of '23, I probably could have listed 100 names before I came up with Ryan Arcidiacono.
 
Bingo Bango said:
ESPN is now saying Billups might have informed a gambler about who would be playing in a Blazers game in 2023.
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It's in the article posted above. It's actually the weakest part of the whole thing against Chauncey. He told a rando that the Blazers were tanking and guys wouldn't be playing "before that information became public," except pretty much everyone already knew the team was tanking, so there only were a couple of guys whose playing status might have been in question.

In most courts, that kind of common sense is a slap on the wrist. Might be just a warning. Now, not sure what the NBA would do, but just speaking from the standpoint of the law.

The stuff about rigged card games and the involvement of organized crime is worse by an order of magnitude when it comes to seriousness, likelihood that the prosecution would go hard for a conviction and potential sentence.
 
asi-mismo-speechless.gif


There are some very uncomfortable people surrounding this. Hell....I'm at my PC and I feel uncomfortable.
 
Denny Crane said:
My take…

Gambling addiction is a disease. I cannot fathom how else guys making more money in a year than most make in a lifetime would be so stupid to risk it all. Risk is common to gambling and not getting caught.

Once the mob gets their hooks into someone, there’s no easy way out,

It’s difficult to believe that Billups is a criminal in the sense that some are born that way and live their whole lives that way.

It’s looking like the Blazers are handling this properly.

The team has certain control over the coach per his contract. They don’t have to have a P.I. following him around when it’s his free time.
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I'm poor as hell and I don't really gamble. When I went to Vegas with Sly and co, I gambled a total of 45 dollars (some of that was house money). If I were rich, I would not be risking that, not that I would any way. And betting against my own team? Hell no.

Blazers are handling it well so far.
 
Chris Craig said:
I'm poor as hell and I don't really gamble. When I went to Vegas with Sly and go, I gambled a total of 45 dollars. If I were rich, I would not be risking that, not that I would any way. And betting against my own team? Hell no.

Blazers are handling it well so far.
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People go to Vegas and end up betting and losing their cars and homes. It’s that kind of disease.

I lived in Vegas for 8 years. I would gamble $200 when we had guests visit. I also bet $10 on one hand of blackjack after brunch to see if I could get my brunch for free.

You don’t last long there if you gamble.
 
Denny Crane said:
People go to Vegas and end up betting and losing their cars and homes. It’s that kind of disease.

I lived in Vegas for 8 years. I would gamble $200 when we had guests visit. I also bet $10 on one hand of blackjack after brunch to see if I could get my brunch for free.

You don’t last long there if you gamble.
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I went there to have fun. I spent my money where it made sense instead of throwing it away. Had a great time!
 
rotary111 said:
The new info about pulling players to tank is not good. Especially since it could be connected to gambling.

Will this result in a fine or loss of future draft picks for the team somehow?
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I doubt it, because for the NBA to act like this is the only case of it, would open themselves up for a lot of prying eyes
 
PCmor7 said:
It's in the article posted above. It's actually the weakest part of the whole thing against Chauncey. He told a rando that the Blazers were tanking and guys wouldn't be playing "before that information became public," except pretty much everyone already knew the team was tanking, so there only were a couple of guys whose playing status might have been in question.

In most courts, that kind of common sense is a slap on the wrist. Might be just a warning. Now, not sure what the NBA would do, but just speaking from the standpoint of the law.

The stuff about rigged card games and the involvement of organized crime is worse by an order of magnitude when it comes to seriousness, likelihood that the prosecution would go hard for a conviction and potential sentence.
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Except benching our top 4 scorers totally affects the point spread of the game. It was that information before it was made public that made betting against the Blazers an almost a sure thing.

It would be insteresting to see what the line was before and after that information became public.
 
rotary111 said:
The new info about pulling players to tank is not good. Especially since it could be connected to gambling.

Will this result in a fine or loss of future draft picks for the team somehow?
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Hope not. Shouldn't. The team shouldn't get punished for what he did.
 
illmatic99 said:
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disease of more my ass. greed pure and simple

Pride is the greed to be respected, admired, or feared — a hunger for status.

Lust is the greed for pleasure and intimacy.

Envy is the greed for what someone else possesses.

Gluttony is the greed to consume beyond necessity.

Wrath is the greed for power, revenge, or to dominate others.

Sloth is the greed for comfort and ease, avoiding effort or responsibility.
— Written with the help of ChatGPT
1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is the root of all evil
 
Chris Craig said:
I'm poor as hell and I don't really gamble. When I went to Vegas with Sly and co, I gambled a total of 45 dollars (some of that was house money). If I were rich, I would not be risking that, not that I would any way. And betting against my own team? Hell no.

Blazers are handling it well so far.
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And I was one chip from walking out of Vegas (or flying out) with $1500
 
SlyPokerDog said:
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IMO, this is something the prosecution puts out there like a cook putting extra gravy on the dish. It makes the file they bring to court look bigger, but a typical judge is going to hear this and see the team already was out of the race and if they know anything about the NBA they know it was common knowledge the Blazers were going to tank (and the Bulls weren't) and they weren't going to play their best players and will put little if any weight on it.

It's garnish, basically.

It's something they use to make the case look worse and make the defense have to answer for, but it's probably there to get the defendant to plead guilty on a lesser charge.

I'll give you an example from my court case last year. The prosecutor put in the arrest affidavit that I was stalking because I attended a college basketball game in 2021 in which my accuser played. The district attorney literally argued to a judge that the accuser didn't tell me about the game so the only way I would have known about the game was by following them physically. As if there were no websites or schedule cards or calendars or newspapers to know this game was taking place. It's completely against common sense. It's like saying everyone attending the Blazers game last night either was invited by someone on one of the teams or just was walking/driving by the arena and was curious that something seemed to be going on.

Needless to say, even though my accuser worked in the judge's office, that line of probable cause didn't get far, but it did add some copy to the affidavit in which I was accused.
 
It's growing....

LeBron James injury information leaked to bettors, NBA gambling indictment suggests​


  • A new bombshell indictment criminally charging former NBA player Damon Jones suggests that while affiliated with the Los Angeles Lakers, Jones leaked information about the injury status of superstar LeBron James to sports bettors before a February 2023 game.
  • James is not accused of wrongdoing in the indictment, which alleges that Jones and others defrauded betting companies.
  • Jones and James previously played together on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Jones was acting as an unofficial coach for the Lakers at the time of the February 2023 game.
A new bombshell indictment criminally charging former NBA player Damon Jones suggests that while affiliated with the Los Angeles Lakers, Jones leaked information about the injury status of superstar LeBron James to sports bettors before a February 2023 game.

James is not accused of wrongdoing in the federal indictment, which alleges that Jones, 49, and others defrauded betting companies.

Jones and James previously played together on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jones was acting as an unofficial coach for the Lakers at the time of the February 2023 game in Los Angeles that is mentioned in the indictment.

A James spokesman declined to comment to CNBC.

 
PCmor7 said:
IMO, this is something the prosecution puts out there like a cook putting extra gravy on the dish. It makes the file they bring to court look bigger, but a typical judge is going to hear this and see the team already was out of the race and if they know anything about the NBA they know it was common knowledge the Blazers were going to tank (and the Bulls weren't) and they weren't going to play their best players and will put little if any weight on it.

It's garnish, basically.

It's something they use to make the case look worse and make the defense have to answer for, but it's probably there to get the defendant to plead guilty on a lesser charge.

I'll give you an example from my court case last year. The prosecutor put in the arrest affidavit that I was stalking because I attended a college basketball game in 2021 in which my accuser played. The district attorney literally argued to a judge that the accuser didn't tell me about the game so the only way I would have known about the game was by following them physically. As if there were no websites or schedule cards or calendars or newspapers to know this game was taking place. It's completely against common sense. It's like saying everyone attending the Blazers game last night either was invited by someone on one of the teams or just was walking/driving by the arena and was curious that something seemed to be going on.

Needless to say, even though my accuser worked in the judge's office, that line of probable cause didn't get far, but it did add some copy to the affidavit in which I was accused.
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Disagree.

Benching our top 4 scorers totally affects the point spread of the game. It was that information before it was made public that made betting against the Blazers an almost a sure thing.
 
SlyPokerDog said:
Except benching our top 4 scorers totally affects the point spread of the game. It was that information before it was made public that made betting against the Blazers an almost a sure thing.

It would be insteresting to see what the line was before and after that information became public.
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You're not wrong, but I can tell you that typically a judge is not going to rule on it that way unless the judge is completely clueless about pro sports and tanking (and, hey, the FBI did say the Toronto Rangers were involved in this NBA gambling today) and doesn't get it when the defense attorney enlightens them.

Granted, there are different levels of justice in the United States depending on how famous and how much money you have. However, judges commonly take common sense into consideration. If they know anything about pro sports and they see the Blazers were out of contention, there's a great chance they'd know or be convinced that all Chauncey did was confirm to the gamblers something that already had a 99% chance of happening.

You might get the occasional judge that would make this a big deal, but it's probably not, at least so far as the court is concerned. When the counsels get to talking and the judge is listening, this is nothing next to the other stuff that's alleged.
 
I listened to 1080 and I do not agree with much they say but if I am the new owner I would consider cleaning house of the front office. It's not fair to someone like Cronin who we all know how I feel about him BUT maybe a clean slate is needed going forward.

- I will admit Cronin was doing a better job almost like someone ( Bert K ) might have stopped meddling as much but again too much speculation so will leave it as Joe was getting better and he might have to pay for this scandal.
 
SlyPokerDog said:
Disagree.

Benching our top 4 scorers totally affects the point spread of the game. It was that information before it was made public that made betting against the Blazers an almost a sure thing.
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I'll say this one more time and let it drop. It doesn't matter when the information came out if it was something that was widely known or presumed at that point.

It's kind of like betting on the sunrise, first if it will come up and then what time it will come up. Everyone knows the sun is coming up and they know the approximate time, but someone might have a means to know the exact time.

I'm telling you, in most cases, this is not the big deal in the arrest warrant. It's a bigger deal to the league, but it isn't what a criminal court would hammer Billups for doing. The bigger deal is Billups dealing with organized crime to defraud people in a fixed poker game, because the people that got defrauded had no reason to believe the came was crooked. Everyone knew the Blazers were going to sit their top guys if they were out of the playoff hunt, whether that information was public at that point or not.
 
Ripcity4life77 said:
I listened to 1080 and I do not agree with much they say but if I am the new owner I would consider cleaning house of the front office. It's not fair to someone like Cronin who we all know how I feel about him BUT maybe a clean slate is needed going forward.

- I will admit Cronin was doing a better job almost like someone ( Bert K ) might have stopped meddling as much but again too much speculation so will leave it as Joe was getting better and he might have to pay for this scandal.
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I see no reason why that is necessary.
 
SlyPokerDog said:
Federal prosecutors say Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups participated in rigged poker games, using his celebrity status to attract gamblers to play in games fixed by organized crime figures.



Billups, 49, will not coach the Blazers in the near future, with the NBA on Thursday saying he’d been placed on “immediate leave” from the team.




Billups was among more than 30 people indicted Thursday in two separate cases involving NBA figures, some of whom played a role in both cases. The second case does not directly name Billups but suggests someone who matches his credentials provided insider information that enabled others to bet against the Blazers during a basketball game in 2023.



That’s a very significant allegation for the NBA. It suggests the Blazers coach may have shared information from his job leading the team and that information helped gamblers win their bets, potentially undermining the integrity of competition in the league.



Prosecutors said Billups was due to be arraigned Thursday afternoon in Portland. He’s accused of money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy in the alleged poker scheme.

At a Thursday morning news conference in Brooklyn, Interim U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella said Mafia organizations attracted gamblers, whom they called “fish,” to play in rigged poker games involving former pro athletes whom they called “face cards.” Nocella said Billups was among the “face cards” who played in the games, which allegedly defrauded unknowing players out of tens of millions of dollars.



Such “face cards” allegedly “received a portion of the criminal proceeds in exchange for their participation,” according to the unsealed indictment.



“My message to the defendants who’ve been rounded up today is this: Your winning streak has ended. Your luck has run out,” Nocella said. “Violating the law is a losing proposition and you can bet on that.”



Billups and others allegedly organized and participated in a rigged game in Las Vegas around April 2019, according to the indictment. They allegedly used a rigged shuffling machine to defraud other players of at least $50,000.



The Blazers hired Billups, a former player and NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons, as their head coach in 2021.



The allegations jeopardize Billups’ future in the NBA, which has grown increasingly sensitive about the impact of gambling on the sport. Prosecutors said the league cooperated in the multiyear investigation that triggered Thursday’s indictments.



“We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today,” the NBA announced in a statement. Billups has been placed on “immediate leave,” the statement said, “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.”



Billups was arrested about 5 a.m. Thursday at his home in Lake Oswego, according to his lawyer, Chris Heywood. FBI agents took him to the Portland FBI office and then to the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in downtown Portland, where he’s being held until his 1:30 p.m. court appearance.



Heywood declined further comment until after the court appearance.



Multiple calls and text messages from The Oregonian/OregonLive to the Blazers and Billups’ agent, Andy Miller, were not immediately returned Thursday morning.



Billups coached the Trail Blazers in their season-opening game Wednesday night, a narrow loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Moda Center in Portland.



Assistant coach Tiago Splitter will lead the Blazers in the interim, according to reports



Prosecutors say the people who organized the poker games used a rigged shuffling machine that had been altered to read the cards and predict which players had the best hands. They then used wireless technology to notify a conspirator at the table, “the quarterback,” and tell that person who had the best hand.



Organizers of the rigged games allegedly used X-rays, special glasses and other tools to identify playing cards, even when they were face down.



The rigged poker games allegedly took place in New York, Las Vegas and Miami. It’s not clear from the indictment if Billups played in all those cities. Most often, the gamblers were playing Texas Hold ‘em.



A prosecutorial memo alleges that Billups and other “face cards” participating in the rigged poker games received a portion of the proceeds from the scheme. The memo alleges one of the other defendants, Sophia Wei, wired Billups $50,000 following a rigged game in late October 2020 in which he participated.



In electronic messages from April 9, 2019, the alleged conspirators were purportedly concerned that Billups and another defendant had won too many improbable hands. They allegedly suggested having Billups and another player deliberately lose to deflect suspicion.



Allegations of cheating involving Billups became public in 2023, although the indictment does not reference those specific claims.



A professional poker player who said he didn’t participate in the game discussed it on a podcast two years ago, saying he thought it happened in 2019. The player, Matt Berkey, said the game began in Los Angeles and moved to Las Vegas and “was built around” Billups.



Berkey said he chose not to play in the game out of concern that it was “not on the up and up.” Berkey said he had friends who played in the game and “only the pros are losing.”



“It was basically confirmed amongst all of the pros that the game was cheated, but there’s just no recourse,” Berkey alleged. " … Well it’s tough too whenever you’re dealing with somebody like, high profile like that, because they carry a lot of weight and hold a lot of power, so all you can do is like, kind of unite together and threaten to publicly out him or extort him in some sort of capacity, in which case, you know, good luck."



The separate sports-betting case announced Thursday allegedly involved current Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player Damon Jones, the latter of whom was also identified by federal officials as a “face card” in the alleged fixed poker games.



Prosecutors said conspirators in the sports-betting scheme used inside information on which players would sit out games and whether they would take themselves out of games for purported injuries.



The defendants allegedly used information from friendships with players and coaches.



Prosecutors said the sports-betting case involved several teams’ games, including the Trail Blazers.



Billups is not among the six defendants facing criminal charges in the sports-betting scheme. But federal prosecutors identified “Co-Conspirator 8″ as an NBA player from 1997 through 2014, who coached since 2021 and lived in Oregon -- a description that matches Billups.



“Co-Conspirator 8″ told one of the defendants in the scheme, a Missouri man named Eric Earnest, that the team would be tanking to improve its draft odds and several of the Blazers’ best players would not suit up in a game on March 24, 2023, before that information was publicly known, according to the indictment.

www.oregonlive.com

Blazers coach Chauncey Billups arrested, accused by feds of participating in rigged poker games

The NBA has placed Billups on "immediate leave" from the team.
www.oregonlive.com www.oregonlive.com
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Ma Mafia gets you in and you’re screwed. First time you do it to get out of a debt or for whatever reason and then they’ve got their hooks in you so you have to continue doing whatever they ask. Highly doubt if he’s involved in one thing mafia that it stopped there I’d bet my life savings there NBA related stuff too
 
Lengthy indictment documents are otherwise known as “speaking indictments.” They are lengthy because they go into detail about the evidence likely to be presented in court.

They are typical in a high profile case because the details can influence public opinion. Notice how in this thread that the details are being posted.

There’s zero benefit to inflating an indictment document for the sake of more pages. Lawyers and judges push so much paper that a 150 page document wouldn’t phase them in any way.
 
PCmor7 said:
You're not wrong, but I can tell you that typically a judge is not going to rule on it that way unless the judge is completely clueless about pro sports and tanking (and, hey, the FBI did say the Toronto Rangers were involved in this NBA gambling today) and doesn't get it when the defense attorney enlightens them.

Granted, there are different levels of justice in the United States depending on how famous and how much money you have. However, judges commonly take common sense into consideration. If they know anything about pro sports and they see the Blazers were out of contention, there's a great chance they'd know or be convinced that all Chauncey did was confirm to the gamblers something that already had a 99% chance of happening.

You might get the occasional judge that would make this a big deal, but it's probably not, at least so far as the court is concerned. When the counsels get to talking and the judge is listening, this is nothing next to the other stuff that's alleged.
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No, it's things like this that will ultimately make this a RICO case.

Doesn't matter that the team was already losing or tanking. Sitting our top 4 scorers was an extreme outlier.

Seriously, someone will find what the betting line was before and after that information became public, and it will be drastic.
 
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