NBA Coach and Player Arrested in Massive Mafia-Backed Gambling and Poker Schemes

Major Illegal Gambling Operations Uncovered

• 🚨 Two large-scale investigations, "Operation Nothing But Bet" and "Operation Royal Flesh," have led to the arrest of 34 individuals, including NBA personnel.
• 🔗 These operations, tied to organized crime families like the Gambinos, Bananos, and Genevese, allegedly defrauded victims of tens of millions of dollars.

Rigged Poker Games and Cheating Technology

• 🃏 One scheme involved rigged poker games, allegedly using special contact lenses to detect marked cards and modified shuffling machines.
• 🎭 Participants were reportedly deceived into believing they were playing poker with NBA legends, adding to the elaborate fraud.

Inside Information and Sports Betting Scheme

• 🏀 Another scheme involved NBA players and coaches allegedly passing inside information to sports bettors.
• 💡 Examples include former Cavaliers player Damon Jones accused of trading medical information on LeBron James and Miami Heat guard Terry Rosier allegedly tipping off bets based on planned early departures from games due to injury.

NBA and Law Enforcement Response

• ⚖️ Portland Trailblazers coach Chanty Bilips, Miami Heat guard Terry Rosier, and former Cavaliers player Damon Jones are among those facing serious charges including extortion, robbery, and money laundering.
• 🚫 The NBA has placed Terry Rosier and Chanty Bilips on immediate leave and stated they are cooperating with authorities, emphasizing the integrity of the game.
• 🎤 Law enforcement officials, including FBI Director Cash Patel and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tish, announced the indictments, highlighting the historic nature of the fraud in terms of scale and deceit.