Chauncey Billups pleads not guilty in rigged poker games case

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Chauncey Billups pleads not guilty in rigged poker games case

Scooby Axson, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Mon, Nov 24, 2025 ·

3 min read

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NEW YORK — Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty on Monday during his appearance at a federal courthouse in Brooklyn on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy as authorities accuse the Naismith Hall of Famer of being the "face card" in a scheme that helped lure players to poker games held in Las Vegas, where sophisticated machines were used to dupe victims out of millions of dollars.

Both charges carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison if convicted.

Billups' attorney, Marc Mukasey, entered the plea on behalf of his client before U.S. District Judge Ramon Reye during the hearing, with Billups speaking only to answer specific questions from Reye. The bail for Billups was set at $5 million, and he used his Colorado home as collateral to secure the bond.

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From courtside to courtroom: Chauncey Billups faces gambling charges

Chauncey Billups, NBA Hall of Fame player and coach of the Portland Trailblazers, arrives with lawyer Marc Mukasey at Brooklyn Federal Court to appear for a status hearing in a sprawling criminal case alleging he conspired with organised crime associates to rig underground poker games, in New York City, Nov. 24, 2025.

(Adam Gray, Reuters)

Portland Trail Blazers Coach Chauncey Billups arrives for his arraignment hearing at U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York on Nov. 24, 2025 in New York City. Billups, the Portland Trail Blazers head coach and NBA hall of famer, was indicted for his alleged participation in a scheme that involved rigging illegal poker games. Billups is one of 31 defendants charged in the scheme who are facing various charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.
(Michael M. Santiago, Getty Images)

Chauncey Billups, head coach for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, arrives at Brooklyn Federal Court facing charges in connection with a rigged poker game scheme on Nov. 24, 2025 in New York City.
(ANGELINA KATSANIS, AFP via Getty Images)

Chauncey Billups, NBA Hall of Fame player and coach of the Portland Trailblazers, arrives at Brooklyn Federal Court to appear for a status hearing in a sprawling criminal case alleging he conspired with organised crime associates to rig underground poker games, in New York City, Nov. 24, 2025.
(Adam Gray, Reuters)

Billups, dressed in a gray suit and light blue dress shirt, and flanked by his attorneys, arrived at the Theodore Roosevelt United States Courthouse in Brooklyn, home to the Eastern District of New York, nearly an hour before his arraignment, which was also a status conference hearing for the other 30 defendants in the case, dubbed "Operation Royal Flush ," which prosecutors say involved organized crime figures, who committed violent acts to collect on debts.

All 31 defendants are scheduled for a case status update on March 4, as the authorities prepare their case, adding that during the discovery phase, they expect to produce one terabyte of data.

Reye said he hopes to start the trial by September 2026.

When he was arrested in Portland on Oct. 23, Billups was ordered by a judge to forfeit his passport and restrict his travel to Oregon, Colorado, and New York.

The 49-year-old Billups , a five-time All-Star who spent 17 seasons in the NBA and won a Finals MVP award with the Detroit Pistons in 2004, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.

In another part of the indictment tied to gambling, Billups is believed to be "Co-Conspirator 8," who authorities say gave confidential game information before it was publicly available, and is described as an ex-NBA player who played from 1997 to 2014, an NBA coach since 2021, and an Oregon resident. Billups meets all three of those characteristics.

Billups is on unpaid leave from his job coaching the Trail Blazers, as is Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier , who is due in court at the Brooklyn federal courthouse Dec. 8. Federal authorities allege in court documents that Rozier provided insider information , which gamblers used to make wagers involving the Los Angeles Lakers , Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets , Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors over the span of a year.

Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones has already pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy when he made his initial appearance in court on Nov. 6 and was released on a $200,00 bond.

In a developing story, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups , Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player Damon Jones all were arrested on Oct. 23, 2025, for their alleged role in an explosive gambling scandal that has rocked the NBA.

(Getty Images)

Kawhi Leonard and team owner Steve Ballmer are at the forefront of an investigation into whether the team allegedly helped facilitate a $28 million “no-show” endorsement deal for Leonard with a now-bankrupt sustainability company called Aspiration.

(Ezra Shaw, Getty Images)

The NBA suspended Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. on Feb. 20, 2025 for 25 games for testing positive for the painkiller Tramadol, which is an opiate.

(Benny Sieu, Imagn Images)

The NBA gave Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter a lifetime ban in April 2024 for "disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games."

(Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images)

The NBA banned Donald Sterling for life, forced him to sell the Los Angeles Clippers and fined him $2.5 million in April 2014 after racist comments made by Sterling on a private audio recording were disclosed.

(Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)

In the 2009-10 season, it was discovered Gilbert Arenas had brought guns into the Wizards locker room and had an alteracation with then-teammate Javaris Crittenton involving firearms in the locker room. The NBA suspended both players indefinitely, and Arenas ended up serving a 50-game suspension.

(Geoff Burke, Imagn Images)

In 2008, NBA referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to a 15-month prison term and three years of supervised release for betting on games that he officiated.

(Lisa Blumenfeld, Getty Images)

Latrell Sprewell was fired from the Golden State Warriors after he choked Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo during a closed door practice.

(JOHN G. MABANGLO, AFP via Getty Images)

Authorities say that Jones allegedly shared and sold insider information on numerous occasions about undisclosed details of NBA games, such as lineup decisions and pre-released medical information, to his co-conspirators, who then placed significant wagers based on the tips. The medical information allegedly involved LeBron James and Anthony Davis , who were playing for the Lakers at the time. James and Davis have not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Jones is also accused of using his notoriety to get people to poker games rigged by organized crime figures in order to steal money from them, sometimes using technology, including poker chip trays with hidden cameras, and rigged shuffling machines with the ability to read the cards in the deck.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chauncey Billups arraignment: NBA coach pleads not guilty

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Chauncey Billups pleads not guilty in rigged poker games case

From courtside to courtroom: Chauncey Billups faces gambling charges

From courtside to courtroom: Chauncey Billups faces gambling charges

From courtside to courtroom: Chauncey Billups faces gambling charges

From courtside to courtroom: Chauncey Billups faces gambling charges

From courtside to courtroom: Chauncey Billups faces gambling charges

From courtside to courtroom: Chauncey Billups faces gambling charges

From courtside to courtroom: Chauncey Billups faces gambling charges

NBA’s biggest scandals: Betting, violence and racism exposed

NBA’s biggest scandals: Betting, violence and racism exposed

NBA’s biggest scandals: Betting, violence and racism exposed

NBA’s biggest scandals: Betting, violence and racism exposed

NBA’s biggest scandals: Betting, violence and racism exposed

NBA’s biggest scandals: Betting, violence and racism exposed

NBA’s biggest scandals: Betting, violence and racism exposed

NBA’s biggest scandals: Betting, violence and racism exposed

NBA’s biggest scandals: Betting, violence and racism exposed