Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups arrested in connection with an FBI poker probe (1 Viewer)

[Rieguy]

Trail Blazers coach and NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Heat guard Terry Rozier have been arrested in connection with an FBI sports betting and poker probe, according to ESPN.

Former Cavaliers star Damon Jones also has been arrested in the probe, per NBC.

FBI director Kash Patel and the Eastern District of New York will hold a press conference Thursday morning to further discuss the case and “numerous arrests in illegal sports betting and poker games schemes,” including two indictments, according to a press release.

Billups, 49, has been charged in an illegal poker scheme linked to organized crime, sources told The Post.

Couple links (quotes above from the first):

https://nypost.com/2025/10/23/sport...rrested-in-fbi-sports-gambling-investigation/

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/46695228/sources-terry-rozier-arrested-part-gambling-inquiry

This should be fun. Surprised someone who has made over $100 million would need to do this with a poker game, but we've seen such people do inexplicable things with poker before (see HCL). Who would've thought the major sports organizations partnering with gambling apps could've been a questionable move?

 

[JMC9389]

Going to be the first of many.

This is partly why I've become disenchanted with sports. Too much potential for things to be fixed.

 

[BarrieJ3]

I saw it in passing and was more eyebrows up at Roziers name since he’s in the league atm.

Didn’t see Chauncey’s name til now. That’s a shock for sure. Now if you told me it was his running mate Sheed, I’d be like that makes sense

 

[buffalojim]

What's the problem?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1981326862640148931

 

[doublebooyah85]

This article does a great job summarizing how messed up it was.

Specifically goes into the cheating of the poker games.

https://nypost.com/2025/10/23/us-ne...dates-terry-rozier-chauncey-billups-arrested/

 

[buffalojim]

7m split between the mob and everyone else over 2 years seems like a small amount to me. I know there's more involved but some of these guys, specifically the NBA peeps make that much in their sleep. Stupid. Never enough for some people.

 

[Kam]

This article does a great job summarizing how messed up it was.

https://nypost.com/2025/10/23/us-ne...dates-terry-rozier-chauncey-billups-arrested/

Two things stood out to me:

1. They hacked a Deck mate 2

2. They had an X-Ray TABLE!!!? Never heard of that one before:

I think what they said is the amount will be more than $7m, but that’s probably all they needed evidence wise to secure the case/prosecution. One victim lost $1.8m, so it’s probably a lot more if they continue the investigation.

 

[slurpeee]

Never enough for some people.

It may not be a greed thing. Following Chauncey's career since he was in high school, he's never struck me as that sort of greedy dude.

Can't help but wonder if its something where he got into some bad gambling debt/issues with the mob, and they used that leverage they way they do recruit and bring his connections into the game. Could be one of those "play ball w/ us or else" situations. Gambling problems and the mob are a bad mix.

I'm more intrigued about the rigged shuffler situation. Not the first time I've heard of it. Wonder if there's more of that going out there than meets the eye.

 

[Kam]

Another article with some more info. Heard of the other tactics, but X-Ray!? I missed that as an option on my table:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...oker-gambling-investigation-tech/86852973007/

“The defendants used "very sophisticated cheating technologies" including a rigged shuffling machine stolen from someone at gunpoint, Nocella said. Off-the-shelf shuffling machines were also "secretly altered in order to read the cards in the deck, predict which player at the table had the best poker hand and relay that information to an off-site operator," he said.”

“The off-site operator allegedly sent the information back to someone at the table dubbed "the quarterback" who secretly signaled other players in order to win the games.”

"The defendants used other cheating technologies, such as poker chip tray analyzers, which is a poker chip tray that secretly reads cards using a hidden camera, special contact lens or eye glasses that could read premarked cards and an X-ray table that could read cards face down on the table," Nocella said.

 

[buffalojim]

I hope those fuckers were wearing lead underwear.

 

[doublebooyah85]

7m split between the mob and everyone else over 2 years seems like a small amount to me. I know there's more involved but some of these guys, specifically the NBA peeps make that much in their sleep. Stupid. Never enough for some people.

Everyone wants to be a wise guy

 

[shorticus]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1981372767980441682

 

[WedgeRock]

Somebody is getting fitted for concrete shoes right now.

 

[slurpeee]

Now I'm pretty sure the Ameristar Blackhawk has X-Ray built into their 1-3 tables. That would explain some of the play I've witnessed up there.

 

[buffalojim]

It may not be a greed thing. Following Chauncey's career since he was in high school, he's never struck me as that sort of greedy dude.

Can't help but wonder if its something where he got into some bad gambling debt/issues with the mob, and they used that leverage they way they do recruit and bring his connections into the game. Could be one of those "play ball w/ us or else" situations. Gambling problems and the mob are a bad mix.

I'm more intrigued about the rigged shuffler situation. Not the first time I've heard of it. Wonder if there's more of that going out there than meets the eye.

I think you're probably right about this. In the presser they mentioned people being threatened and coerced when they couldn't pay. Either way, reap what you sow.

 

[ThinkingFold]

I feel like the most important question regarding this whole situation is what chips were they using?

 

[buffalojim]

Somebody is getting fitted for concrete shoes right now.

I love how they named all the agents specifically involved with some of the operations. Like here, here's the guys you want to go after.

 

[shorticus]

No one needed Terry Rozier’s confirmation to bet all his unders! All you had to do was watch him play.

 

[TheRealTeddyKGB]

Another article with some more info. Heard of the other tactics, but X-Ray!? I missed that as an option on my table:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...oker-gambling-investigation-tech/86852973007/

View attachment 1580929

“The defendants used "very sophisticated cheating technologies" including a rigged shuffling machine stolen from someone at gunpoint, Nocella said. Off-the-shelf shuffling machines were also "secretly altered in order to read the cards in the deck, predict which player at the table had the best poker hand and relay that information to an off-site operator," he said.”

“The off-site operator allegedly sent the information back to someone at the table dubbed "the quarterback" who secretly signaled other players in order to win the games.”

"The defendants used other cheating technologies, such as poker chip tray analyzers, which is a poker chip tray that secretly reads cards using a hidden camera, special contact lens or eye glasses that could read premarked cards and an X-ray table that could read cards face down on the table," Nocella said.

I'm guessing they're talking RFID

 

[Kam]

I'm guessing they're talking RFID

the pictures they show do look like an actual digital X-Ray view/ radiograph, they described it as X-Ray.

If it was RFID I guess it’d just be an output on a screen of the hands, not an actual picture.

 

[WedgeRock]

the pictures they show do look like an actual digital X-Ray view/ radiograph, they described it as X-Ray.

If it was RFID I guess it’d just be an output on a screen of the hands, not an actual picture.

The pic shown is labeled "US v Aiello" and is likely from another case but similar to this one. It's not the actual x-ray table in question.

The x-ray at my doc's is noticeably audible when it takes a pic.

 

[Chips523]

I have seen video of x-ray tables in use in the Dominican Republic. Floyd Mayweather has also been accused of running a x-ray table. They are definitely a real thing. I wouldn't be surprised if they catch him in a gambling scam deal like this next.

 

[Kam]

Looked into it with at least 3 mins of google research.

Although it’s referred to as ‘X-Ray’, seems more likely it’s infrared tech. Sensors can either be in ceiling or table. Won’t share the links as it’s a site that sells other bullshit items to cheat.

 

[buffalojim]

Good news y'all!

 

[Kam]

Friend shared this 2 year old clip. If interested, just fast forward to 27:15.

Chauncey was known to be part of a sketchy game in Vegas back in ~2019 with ‘bad’ players beating pros.

 

[SixSpeedFury]

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

No members from the Azurro, Giallo, Rosso, and Nero families, unfortunately.

 

[woodsy]

Never knew this could be done

 

[WedgeRock]

 

[LowerBama1714]

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

No members from the Azurro, Giallo, Rosso, and Nero families, unfortunately.

Any of these douche bags on PCF?

 

[shorticus]

Edit: @Kam Already posted this, but this is just the edited version

https://twitter.com/x/status/1981537815088242791