FBI Arrests 31 in Mafia-Led Rigged NBA Poker Ring Using Tech and Threats

Federal authorities have indicted 31 individuals, including NBA figures Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones, in a vast illegal poker rigging scheme orchestrated by New York Mafia families such as the Gambino, Bonanno, Genovese, and Lucchese clans. The operation, which exploited advanced technology like rigged shuffling machines, X-ray tables, and special contact lenses, manipulated outcomes in high-stakes Texas Hold 'em games to defraud wealthy players. Billups and Jones were allegedly used as "face cards" to attract victims to these rigged games, with the Mafia orchestrating the entire scheme to net over $7 million. The investigation has revealed threatening and violent tactics to collect gambling debts, including assaults by enforcers like Zhen Hu, with chilling text messages illustrating the coercion used against victims. An ex-Gambino enforcer speculated that Billups might have been blackmailed or coerced by the Mafia, highlighting the complex dynamics between professional athletes and organized crime. The case exposes the troubling intersection of high-profile sports figures and organized crime within illegal gambling operations.