Billups, Rozier, Jones Charged in Gambling Probe

Federal prosecutors and the FBI unsealed indictments and arrested nearly three dozen people across 11 states in a sprawling probe that federal officials say combines an illegal multi‑state sports‑betting scheme and a Mafia‑linked rigged‑poker operation. Among those charged are Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former player Damon Jones; Billups has denied the allegations and both he and Rozier were placed on leave by the NBA. Prosecutors say the poker ring used sophisticated cheating technology—rigged shufflers, X‑ray tables and special lenses—to siphon at least $7 million since 2019 and implicated organized‑crime figures. Rozier was charged in the Eastern District of New York with conspiracy counts tied to alleged tips about his playing status that federal filings say generated roughly $250,000 in profitable prop bets, and the NBA reportedly found no violation in a 2023 internal review. Officials have described the investigation as "Operation Nothing But Bet," said the probe is ongoing and that additional arrests, names and evidence are possible, and legal experts say prosecutions will determine culpability.