Portland Trail Blazers head coach and NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups appeared in Brooklyn federal court on Monday and entered a not guilty plea to charges alleging he conspired to involve unsuspecting poker players in games allegedly manipulated by the Mafia, повідомляє Baltimore Chronicle з посиланням на ABC News.
Billups, who played 17 seasons in the NBA and was named the 2004 NBA Finals MVP, is accused of using his celebrity status to attract high-stakes players to poker tables equipped with altered shuffling machines and X-ray devices, according to the indictment made public on October 23. Defense attorney Mark Mukasey stated, “We enter a plea of not guilty.”
Judge Ramon Reyes ordered Billups released on bond, with terms currently under negotiation in a separate courtroom. Reyes indicated that the trial is scheduled to begin in September 2026, telling the attorneys, “Do whatever you have to do to get it ready to go.”
Billups is one of 31 defendants facing federal charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. All 31 appeared in court Monday, with prosecutors noting that some have already entered preliminary plea discussions. Michael Gibaldi, one of the prosecutors, did not specify which defendants may seek a guilty plea before the trial, though federal filings suggest that several could ultimately resolve their cases without going to trial.
Among Billups’ co-defendants are Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones. Prosecutors stated that evidence against the accused includes electronic devices, surveillance photographs, pole camera footage, banking records, and phone records.
Following the announcement of the charges, the NBA immediately placed Billups and Rozier on leave. The league also announced it would review its policies to protect personnel from the risks of gambling and assess whether additional education on gambling-related risks is required, according to a memo obtained by ABC News.
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