‘Mind-boggling’ fraud case: Portland Trail Blazers coach Billups, Heat’s Rozier arrested

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were among more than 30 people who have been charged in connection with schemes involving illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by organised crime, US authorities said on Thursday.

FBI Director Kash Patel and other law enforcement officials said the multiple charges involved four mafia families and organised crime networks, and “mind-boggling” amounts of fraud.

Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, accused the FBI of aiming for “misplaced glory” by embarrassing the professional athlete with a perp walk, rather than allowing him to self-surrender.

Officials said the indictments were related to two major cases, one involving sports betting, the other rigged poker games.

US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jnr said at a news conference that in the first case, six defendants were accused of taking part in an insider sports betting conspiracy that exploited confidential information about NBA athletes and teams.

He called it “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalised in the United States.”