Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups pleads not guilty in connection to alleged NBA gambling scheme

[ad_1] Portland Path Blazers head coach and Nationwide Basketball Affiliation Corridor of Famer Chauncey Billups pleaded not responsible on Monday in Brooklyn federal courtroom to fees he conspired to lure unsuspecting poker gamers to video games allegedly rigged by the Mafia.

“We enter a plea of not responsible,” protection legal professional Mark Mukasey mentioned.

Prosecutors mentioned Billups was one of many alleged scheme’s “face playing cards” who used his superstar to draw high-rollers to poker tables that have been outfitted with X-ray expertise and altered shuffling machines. The poker video games have been backed by organized crime households, based on the indictment, which was revealed Oct. 23.

Portland Path Blazers Coach Chauncey Billups arrives for his arraignment listening to at U.S. District Court docket for the Japanese District of New York, November 24, 2025 in New York Metropolis.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Photos

The decide on Monday ordered Billups be launched on bond, the phrases of that are being negotiated in a separate courtroom.

Choose Ramon Reyes mentioned he intends for the trial to start in September 2026.

“Do no matter it's a must to do to get it able to go,” Reyes mentioned.

Billups, who spent 17 seasons within the NBA and was the 2004 NBA Finals MVP, is one in all 31 defendants charged within the scheme, all of whom are due in courtroom Monday. They’re going through numerous fees of wire fraud conspiracy and cash laundering conspiracy.

All 31 defendants appeared in courtroom on Monday.

“With respect to not less than some defendants, plea negotiations have begun,” one of many prosecutors, Michael Gibaldi, mentioned. He didn't say which defendants may choose to vary their plea to responsible and resolve their circumstances earlier than trial.

Federal prosecutors beforehand signaled that they count on various the defendants will in the end choose to plead responsible.

“Though it's too early for the federal government and any of the defendants to have interaction in substantial plea negotiations, the federal government and protection counsel for a number of defendants have begun productive discussions that the federal government hopes will in the end result in resolutions as to a number of defendants with out the necessity for a trial,” prosecutors wrote in a courtroom submitting forward of Monday’s standing convention.

Portland Path Blazers Coach Chauncey Billups arrives for his arraignment listening to at U.S. District Court docket for the Japanese District of New York, November 24, 2025 in New York Metropolis.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Photos

The proof towards Billups and his codefendants – together with Miami Warmth guard Terry Rozier and former participant and coach Damon Jones – comes from digital units, surveillance pictures, pole digicam footage, financial institution data and telephone data, prosecutors mentioned.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Portland Path Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups appears on in the course of the sport towards the Golden State Warriors at Chase Middle on Oct. 8, 2025, in San Francisco, California. (Picture by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Photos)

Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Photos

Lower than per week after the fees towards Billups and others have been revealed, the NBA introduced that it was enterprise a evaluate of how the league can shield itself from sports activities betting and whether or not it is doing sufficient to coach coaches, gamers and different personnel in regards to the "dire dangers" playing may pose to their careers, based on an NBA league memo obtained by ABC Information.