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Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA guard and coach Damon Jones were among 34 arrested as part of a widespread FBI investigation on Thursday, Fox News Digital confirmed.
The investigation was tied to a probe into members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families.
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FBI Director Kash Patel testifies in front of the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 17, 2025. (Jack Gruber/USA Today via Imagn Images)
“Day in and day out, this FBI is following the money — and today is the result of that outstanding work,” FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. “This operation involved an expansive effort across 11 states arresting 34 subjects, including multiple NBA players and coaches, who allegedly took advantage of their own positions of power to rig gambling systems for their own benefit — eventually funneling money to La Cosa Nostra, enriching some of the most notorious criminal networks in the world. That ends today — and the FBI’s efforts to make sure gambling operations of all kinds stay within the law are only beginning. Thank you to the outstanding men and women of the FBI who pursued this case and followed the facts accordingly.”
The officials said the indictments executed involved in sports betting and illegal gambling involving poker games.
Rozier did not play during the Miami Heat’s game on Wednesday night against the Orlando Magic. Billups was on the sidelines for the Trail Blazers against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Billups, a Hall of Famer and NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons, played 17 years in the league. He was a five-time All-Star.
Rozier’s arrest was tied to NBA gambling, and Billups’ arrest was tied to poker, Fox News Digital confirmed.
Federal authorities launched an investigation, dubbed Operation Zhen Diagram, into a nationwide gambling ring allegedly involving members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families who allegedly defrauded unwitting victims of millions.
The FBI said that the proceeds of the activity were allegedly laundered by members of the ring and at some points were converted into cryptocurrency to avoid being detected by law enforcement.
The FBI said a confidential source recorded more than 3,000 phone calls and meetings with the targets of its investigation. The source introduced undercover agents to the targets and participated in a rigged poker game.
Officials said the poker games involved cheating devices such as rigged shuffling devices.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard AJ Johnson (5) during the first quarter at Capital One Arena on May 31, 2025. (Reggie Hildred/Imagn Images)
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The operation overlapped with a separate investigation, dubbed Nothing But Bet, involving a probe into fixed NCAA basketball games. The FBI said the ring included current and former NBA players.
“Your winning streak has ended. Your luck has run out. Violating the law is a losing proposition and you can bet on that,” U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella said.
The non-public information was when players would be sitting out of future games or when they would pull themselves out early for injuries or illnesses. Jontay Porter, a former Toronto Raptors, received a lifetime ban for the NBA and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of a gambling scheme last year.
“In one instance they got their information by threatening a current player, Porter, because of his preexisting gambling debts,” Nocella said. “Defendants used this information to place hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent bets – mostly in the form of prop bets on individual player performance.
“The defendants relied on a network of straw bettors to place the maximum amount of bets to increase their potential profits. Most of these bets succeeded and the intended losses were in the millions of dollars. The defendants then laundered their illegal winnings in various ways.”
“The indictment details specific examples where the defendants profited from illegal gambling and illegal betting on various NBA games about the performance of players on, among other things, the Charlotte Hornets, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto (Raptors).
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Rozier faked an injury to leave a March 23, 2023, game between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans.
Billups was arrested as part of the illegal poker takedown. Nocella said the alleged schemers targeted victims known as “fish” who lured victims by giving them the chance to play alongside former pro athletes known as “face cards.” He said Billups and Jones were dubbed as a “face card” by the schemers.
Nocella said the “fish” didn’t know that the “face cards” were in on the scam.
Each figure in the NBA case was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Officials said they had roles in both schemes.
Nocella added that the investigations were still ongoing. The NBA cooperated with the investigation.
James Trusty, of Ifrah Law PLLC, released a statement on Rozier’s arrest:
“We have represented Terry Rozier for over a year. A long time ago we reached out to these prosecutors to tell them we should have an open line of communication,” Trusty told Fox News. “They characterized Terry as a subject, not a target, but at 6 a.m. this morning they called to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel.
“It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self surrender they opted for a photo op. They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case. They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing. Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups leads his team against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at the United Center on April 4, 2024. (Matt Marton/Imagn Images)
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Fox News Digital reached out to the NBA, Heat and Trail Blazers for comment.
Fox News’ David Spunt and Ryan Canfield contributed to this report.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
