Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and Heat guard Terry Rozier have been suspended from their respective NBA teams following their stunning arrests Thursday morning as part of a federal sports betting and gambling probe.
The NBA announced Thursday afternoon that Billups and Rozier were put on “immediate leave” as the league continues to review the bombshell indictments unsealed Thursday.
“We will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities,” the NBA said in a statement. “We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
Chauncey Billups coaching during the Trail Blazers’ opener on Wednesday. Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images
Billups, Rozier and former Cavaliers player and assistant coach Damon Jones were among the 30-plus arrests Thursday morning as part of a massive years-long investigation that covered 11 states and involved tens of millions of dollars, according to FBI director Kash Patel.
Billups was arrested in Oregon less than 24 hours after he manned the sidelines for the Trail Blazers’ season opener.
Terry Rozier in March 2025. APThe Hall of Famer and Jones are facing wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy in connection with a Mafia-backed underground poker ring, according to the indictment.
The FBI has arrested 31 people involved in a rigged poker game ring backed by the New York City organized crime families.
- Ernest Aiello — reputed Bonanno mobster
- Nelson “Spanish G” Alvarez
- Louis “Lou Ap” Apicella
- Ammar “Flapper Poker” Awawdeh
- Saul Becher — professional poker player
- Chauncey Billups — Portland Trail Blazers coach, NBA Hall of Famer and 2004 NBA champion
- Matthew “The Wrestler” Daddino
- Eric “Spooky” Earnest
- Lee Fama — professional poker player
- John Gallo
- Marco Garzon
- Thomas “Tommy Juice” Gelardo — reputed Lucchese mobster charged in 2013 for beating porn star girlfriend
- Jamie Gilet
- Tony “Black Tony” Goodson
- Kenny Han
- Shane “Sugar” Henne
- Osman “Albanian Bruce” Hoti
- Horatio Hu
- Zhen “Scruli” Hu
- Damon “Dee Jones” Jones — NBA player from 1998 to 2009
- Joseph Lanni
- John “John South” Mazzola
- Curtis Meeks
- Nicholas Minucci
- Michael Renzulli
- Anthony Ruggiero Jr.
- Anthony “Doc” Shnayderman
- Robert “Black Rob” Stroud
- Seth Trustman
- Sophia “Pookie” Wei
- Julius Ziliani
Meanwhile, Rozier was accused in a separate scheme where he participated in an illegal sports betting scheme by using insider NBA knowledge.
Billups and Jones are accused of luring victims to be swindled by the rigged poker games as the defendants allegedly used technology to steal more than $7 million from victims, the document said.
Terry Rozier leaves the U.S. Federal Courthouse through a side door after his arraignment. APMeanwhile, Rozier has been accused of rigging games to benefit bettors – a serious accusation that, if found true, could result in a lifetime ban from the NBA similar to the one former Raptors two-way player Jontay Porter was handed last year.
“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,” The National Basketball Players’ Association said in a statement. “We will ensure our members are protected and afforded their due process rights through this process.”
Rozier was previously under investigation for unusual betting activity in March 2023, though the NBA didn’t find any violation at the time.
Rozier, 31, was in uniform for the Heat’s season opener Wednesday, though he didn’t play. He was taken into custody from a hotel in Orlando, Florida, early Thursday.
Jones, 49, is one of three defendants charged in both cases, The Post reported.
Terry Rozier gets into a limousine after leaving the federal courthouse through a side door. APBillups and Rozier are expected to appear in court later Thursday in Oregon and Florida, respectively.
The charges come less than a year after Porter pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy after he allegedly tipped off gamblers to games he purposely rigged.
In April 2024, the NBA handed Porter a lifetime ban for violating the league’s gambling rules.
