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- [00:02]
Katie Ring
Hi, it's Katie. I'm excited to let you know that you can watch video episodes of Crime House daily Night Watch on Spotify. It's the same gripping true crime stories you've been getting here now with added videos and photos that give you even more depth and detail into each case. Search Night Watch on Spotify and hit follow so you never miss an episode.
- [00:37]
Crime House Host
This is Crime House.
- [00:40]
Katie Ring
Tonight's case is so crazy it sounds like it was stolen straight from the plot of a movie. Federal investigators have accused multiple NBA stars of teaming up with the Mafia to carry out two high tech and at times violent gambling schemes. At the heart of the scandal were high stakes fraudulent poker games run by New York City's crime families as well as another wide reaching scam involving illegal bets and the trading of insider information from various NBA teams. Let's get into it right now.
- [01:15]
Advertisement Voice
We're learning. At least 31 people with sports ties and mafia ties so far have been.
- [01:21]
Katie Ring
Arrested as part of an FBI investigation.
- [01:23]
Advertisement Voice
Into to illegal sports betting in the NBA.
- [01:26]
Crime House Host
Absolutely stunned but not stunned that there was a sports betting case like this. I was stunned that Chauncey Billups was involved.
- [01:34]
Katie Ring
All these guys knew what was at stake and I'm just ashamed that they put themselves and put their family and put the NBA in this position. Hi, I'm Katie Ring and this is Crime House Daily, your weekday true crime companion. We follow the cases making headlines now, where justice is still unfolding. This is a Night Watch episode bringing you today's biggest crime stories. For a video, check out our YouTube channel rmehousedaily and follow Night Watch on Spotify. This episode discusses active criminal cases and breaking news. The information we share is based on what's publicly available at the time of recording and may change as new evidence comes to light. We aim to inform, not to decide guilt or innocence. So everyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
- [02:35]
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- [03:10]
Katie Ring
Okay, tonight's case is a wild one. When I first heard about a gambling scheme between the Mafia and the NBA, I thought someone was talking about the plot of a movie. But this happened in real Life. In October, 34 people were indicted in two overlapping federal investigations. The charges focus on two complex schemes run by the mafia as well as some big names in the NBA. The first one involves poker games that were rigged to swindle high rollers. And the second one is a sports betting operation that used illicit intel provided by NBA insiders. We are going to start by introducing a few of the key players. First, we have 49 year old Damon Jones, who played in the NBA for 11 years. Although he hopped around from team to team, Damon is most well known for his time playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers playing with NBA legend LeBron James from 2005 to 2008. While Damon never became an all star player himself, he earned $22 million during his 11 year playing career and had a well respected run before retiring in 2012. But unfortunately, like many professional athletes who come into money quickly, he blew through it all and incurred a ton of debt. Stories like this always break my heart because my dad used to play for the 49ers and he would tell us how often he saw this happen to young guys coming into the league. A lot of star players would come into money so fast at such a young age and blow through most of it, or all of it, expecting to have a long career. But then they would suffer tragic career ending injuries and have nothing to fall back on. My dad was a 5 foot 10 free agent who Bill Walsh picked out of a lineup at an open tryout and his rookie salary was only $35,000. So he did have a bit of a different perspective. And even though that salary doubled when they won the super bowl that year, he was always planning for the future because he never knew how long it would last. Turned out to be six years and two super bowl rings, which wasn't too shabby. But when he was cut, he had already been working for Wells Fargo in the off seasons, so he was set up. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case for Damon. If he had some good investment guidance, $22 million could have become generational wealth. But tragically, Damon racked up multiple debts, including a $47,000 debt to the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas. But it turned out that that was just the tip of the iceberg. Damon filed for bankruptcy twice in his home state of Texas, first in 2013 and again in 2015. And in his 2015 filing, he listed debts between 500,000 and $1 million. However, both petitions were dismissed, which meant Damon had to find another way out of his money problems. From 2016 to 2018, he went back to the Cavaliers and served as their assistant coach, but unfortunately that gig and the salary that came with it didn't last long and Damon was back to square one. However, he seemed to find a solution when he crossed paths with another NBA veteran, 42 year old Chauncey Ray Billups. Chauncey had a similar career to Damon, but with some notable differences. He also hopped around from team to team a fair amount during his 17 year playing career, but spent most of his career with the Detroit Pistons and played for them for seven years total. But Chauncey built up a little more notoriety. His teammates affectionately nicknamed him Mr. Big Shot for his famous late in the game baskets, and in 2004 he was named the NBA Finals MVP after they beat the Los Angeles Lakers. Chauncey had also earned over $100 million in his career. Unlike Damon, Chauncey didn't have any publicly reported debt. So so his motive for what's to come next is a little murkier. The two men re entered each other's orbits in 2019. At the time, neither of them was working for the NBA in any capacity. But as former NBA players with long careers, there were still a lot of people who would do anything to meet these two men and 67 year old Robert Stroud knew it. Robert has no official ties to the NBA, but he was rather successful in other areas. He is a career criminal who specializes in illicit gambling and Robert takes his work seriously. Let's just say he is not the kind of guy you want to mess with. In fact, in 1994 he killed a man over a card game at a home in Louisville, Kentucky and was charged with reckless homicide. But that didn't slow Robert down. In 2001 he was pulled over for expired tags and when officers peered into the backseat of his car, they found a ton of gambling paraphernalia including sports betting cards, playing cards, dice and gambling records. Due to gambling laws in Kentucky at the time, Robert got a citation, but the charges were dropped. After that, he seemed to fly under the radar for a while. But by 2019, Robert was more embedded in the world of illegal gambling than ever and was part of a scheme that relied on high profile figures. Figures such as Damon Jones and Chauncey Billups. Since this investigation is still underway, authorities haven't revealed exactly how Robert was introduced to Damon and Chauncey but given Damon's large gambling debt, I'm going to guess it has something to do with that. But when Robert was connected to the two men, he invited them to play a game unlike any other game they had ever played before.
- [09:21]
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- [09:52]
Crime House Host
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- [10:17]
Katie Ring
In 2019, career criminal Robert Stroud approached NBA stars Damon Jones and Chauncey Billups about an opportunity to make some extra cash. He wanted them to attend some high stakes poker games and use their star power to lure in high rollers. But that wasn't all. Robert also promised Damon and Chauncey that they would never lose. In fact, they would always walk away with some of the prize money because he and his co hosts had measures in place to ensure it. The people Robert worked with had a lot of experience, not only hosting poker games, but rigging them. Because as it turned out, those associates were members of the New York City's infamous five Families. However, only four out of the five families were involved in the scheme. The Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese families. Conspiring with four out of the five families was a huge deal and a clear sign that this operation was a well oiled machine. Damon and Chauncey were sold and they quickly stepped into their new role as the so called face cards, which was the name given to celebrity players used to lure in high rollers. Those kinds of players usually wanted to play a few rounds and rub elbows with big names, but they got a lot more than they bargained for. These rich players, who are commonly referred to as fish or sometimes whales, knew they were signing up for illegal high stakes games, but they believed the games themselves were straight, meaning Everyone at the table played honestly, but that couldn't be further from the truth because almost everyone around them was in on the scheme. This included Chauncey and Damon. But it turns out they weren't just there to lure in big fish. They also worked with the so called cheating teams to rig the games. The cheating teams used rig card shuffling machines. When used properly, card shuffling machines are designed to shuffle the deck at random. But the rigged machines do the exact opposite. Robert specifically had them altered with concealed technology to read the cards in the deck. Then since the cards were always dealt in a particular order around the table, the machine could deduce which player at the table ended up with the winning hand. Finally, the machine electronically transmitted that information to an off site operator who would notify one member of the cheating team who was seated at the game table. This person was designated as the quarterback or driver. And once the quarterback had the information, they communicated it to the rest of the cheating team by using subtle pre established secret signals like touching certain chips or other items on the table. For example, in games that Chauncey and Damon were involved in, the quarterback would tap his own arm or wrist if he had the best hand. But if another inside player had the best hand, the quarterback touched his thousand dollar poker chip. And finally, if the fish had the best hand, he would touch his black chips, leading the other cheating players to fold. These tactics allowed the cheating team to consistently win. But this wasn't the only tactic they relied on. Sometimes the organizer swapped in other cheating technologies, like electronic poker chip trays that discreetly read cards placed on the table. Card analyzers installed on decoy cell phones that did the same thing. X ray tables and playing cards with markers only visible to players wearing specially designed contact lenses or sunglasses. I can't imagine the cost of all of that equipment alone. It sounds like an operation straight out of a James Bond movie. But it paid off. And the cheating team started to make James Bond level money off of it. In all of these games, innocent players lost tens, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time, while all the cheating players received a cut of the prize money. Robert and his mob associates ran this scheme for years. And the mob enforcement was a big reason they were able to pull it off. For so long. The mob used threats, intimidation, extortion, robbery, violence and assault to collect debt payments or to protect the games from competition and any other potential threats. And in exchange for their shakedown services, the Bonanno, Gambino, Lucchese and Genovese crime families received portions of the proceeds to hide what they were doing, the masterminds behind the scheme laundered the money through shell companies and other third parties. The losing players had to send money via bank wires to shell companies before transferring the money back, either in cash or cryptocurrency. From April 2019 through 2025, the rigged poker games scammed victims out of at least $7.15 million. And Damon and Chauncey took part in at least one game that tricked victims out of $50,000. The scheme was lucrative and foolproof, at least so they thought. New York and federal authorities have been chasing down the mob for as long as they've existed. But tracking their crimes has become harder with advancements in financial technology and crypto. But it isn't impossible. Within one to two years of Damon and Chauncey joining the scheme, investigators caught on to what was happening, and the FBI formed a joint task force with the nypd, Homeland Security, and the New York Waterfront Commission. While their exact methods are still being kept under wraps, we know that they quickly began piecing together a digital paper trail, including thousands of hours of video and other electronic records. They also began executing surveillance operations. But the people running the scheme had no no idea. By December 2022, three years after the rigged poker games took off, the men took it to the next level.
- [16:47]
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- [17:17]
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- [17:38]
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- [17:47]
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- [18:19]
Katie Ring
For years, NBA stars Damon Jones and Chauncey Billups participated in fraudulent mafia backed poker games that scammed innocent players out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The scheme was so successful that in 2023 they continued to build their business and branched out into illegal sports betting, completely unaware that the Feds had been onto them for years and were building their case. One important thing to note is that while Chauncey hasn't been named in this second operation, the indictment does list someone known as Co Conspirator 8 who many believe could be Chauncey. However, it's possible Chauncey was trying to take a step back from the criminal world because in 2021 he had become the head coach of the Portland Trailblazers and was also inducted into the Naismith Basketball hall of Fame. But while Chauncey's involvement in the second scheme isn't confirmed, there was another NBA player tied up in it. 31 year old Terry William Rozier III, nickname Scary Terry. Terry started playing in the NBA in 2015 and until being placed on leave for his potential role in this scheme, he was still actively playing in the NBA. Terry started his career with the Boston Celtics, then played for the Charlotte Hornets and finally the Miami Heat in 2024. Terry was a millionaire, but he also owed the IRS over 8 million in unpaid taxes. So he tried to make a little extra money by tipping off sports bettors and he found elaborate ways to do it. Let's break down how sports betting generally works. Sports gamblers can bet on who will win or lose, but they also make something known as proposition or prop bets. These are bets on specific stats from the game regardless of the actual winner. People can bet on players total points, rebounds, assists, minutes played and three pointers. To maintain fairness in legal betting, the NBA has codes of conduct which prohibit players, coaches and management from personally betting on NBA games and from sharing non public information that could be used for an advantage when betting. Additionally, before each game every NBA team must report information about their players such as injuries and illnesses. On game day the NBA releases an injury report which indicates the likelihood of a player participating, which is crucial information when placing prop bets. But when it comes to the illegal betting scheme Terry was involved in. Players and coaches were selling secret information that wasn't on the injury report to associates in exchange for a cut of the winning money. It's like insider trading, but for basketball games. The first example took place on March 23, 2023. Terry was playing for the Charlotte Hornets at the time and he was getting ready for their game against the New Orleans Pelicans. But before he stepped on the court, he told an accomplice that he was going to fake an injury in the first quarter and remove himself from the rest of the game. Terry's teammates were all counting on him and had no idea what was going on. But for Terry, that was the point. His accomplice sold the insider info to a co conspirator who agreed to pay Terry and his accomplice $100,000 total from the winnings during the game. Terry held up his end of the bargain and they all walked away with the cash they had been expecting. Terry was known to regularly work with two co conspirators, a man named Marvs Fairley and another man named Eric Earnest. For the next year, Marvs and Eric continued to benefit from huge illegal bets and eventually Marvs connected with Damon Jones. In 2023, Damon was still good friends with his former teammate LeBron James of the LA Lakers, and Damon often joined LeBron for his pre game warmups, sort of like an unofficial coach. During these sessions, Damon pretended to be nothing more than an old pal shooting hoops with LeBron. But in reality he was using LeBron to get information out of him. What seemed like casual pre game chit chat was actually a ploy for insider information on which players were injured and how each player was expected to perform. Damon would then sell that information to conspirators like Marvs and Eric. And it all seemed to be going pretty well for Damon. But little did he know authorities had caught onto this scheme as well. And by late October 2025, the joint task force finally had enough evidence to start arresting everyone they believed to be involved in both schemes. On October 23, six people were arrested for this fraudulent insider trading betting scheme, including Damon and Terry, who were each charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Terry hasn't yet entered a plea, but he was let out on bond. Although Chauncey is not named in this indictment, the description of a co conspirator who allegedly told a better that a number of Trailblazers players would miss a March 2023 game had a playing and coaching career that matched his. But despite not being named in the indictment, Chauncey was not in the clear because that same day 31 people were arrested across 11 states for their involvement in the rigged poker games. The charges for this scheme include wire fraud, conspiracy, operation of an illegal gambling business, money laundering and extortion. Those arrested include Damon Chauncey and Robert Stroud. Robert pleaded not guilty and was released on bond. Chauncey was arrested in Portland hours after coaching his first game of the season and was released on bond the next day after being required to surrender his passport. Following his arrest, Chauncey hired defense attorney Mark Mukasey, who has worked with high profile politicians like Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani. His next court appearance was scheduled for November 24, 2025. Damon was also released on bond and pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the poker scheme, but it seems like he may be considering a plea deal. Damon and Terry are both scheduled to return to court on December 8. In a statement, the NBA said that Chauncey and Terry had both been placed on immediate leave from their teams and that they take these allegations with the utmost seriousness and the integrity of the games remains their top priority. As these upcoming hearings play out, we'll hopefully learn more about who was involved in these schemes and how investigators zeroed in. While authorities are still keeping a lot of information under wraps, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch had this to say about the arrests. Bringing four of the five families together in a single indictment is extraordinarily rare. It reflects how deep and how far this investigation reached and the skill and persistence it took to get here. This story is already complex, but there's likely more to it than the public realizes, and it appears that it extends to other sports as well. On November 9, two pitchers on the Cleveland Guardians Major League Baseball team were charged with rigging their performances as part of a gambling scheme. Both have been charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy. So we'll be tracking to see just how deep this goes and as always, we'll bring you all of the major updates as they come in. What did you think of tonight's case? Drop your thoughts and theories in the comments. Crime House Daily is taking a quick break for Thanksgiving, but as a way to say thanks to all of our amazing listeners, we have a few special episodes in store from other Crime House shows, but I will be back and see you on December 1st. If you haven't already, subscribe to our YouTube channel Rimehouse Daily and follow us on social media Rimehouse24Seven for real time updates because the pursuit of justice never stops.
- [27:11]
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- [27:35]
Katie Ring
Looking for your next crime house? Listen, don't miss Crimes of with Sabrina Deanna Roga and Corinne Vien. Crimes of is a weekly series that explores a new theme each season from Crimes of the Paranormal, unsolved murders, mysterious disappearances and more. Their first season is Crimes of Infamy, the true stories behind Hollywood's most iconic horror villains. And coming up next is Crimes of the Paranormal, real life cases where the line between the living and the dead gets seriously blurry. Listen to Crimes of every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
- [28:17]
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