Chauncey Billups Pleads Not Guilty in Major Gambling Case

NEW YORK — Chauncey Billups, head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and a Hall of Fame basketball player, appeared in a federal court on Monday, November 24, 2025, pleading not guilty to charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. The allegations stem from his purported role in a multimillion-dollar poker scheme involving organized crime.

Billups faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted. His bail was set at $5 million, with his Colorado home used as collateral and his wife and daughter co-signing the bond. He is one of 31 defendants linked to a larger investigation into illegal gambling activities.

According to prosecutors, Billups used his celebrity status to lure wealthy individuals into rigged poker games, which featured high-tech cheating mechanisms, including rigged shuffling machines and devices to see hidden cards. The indictment revealed that these organized poker games, backed by mafia families, defrauded victims of an estimated $7 million since 2019.

Defense attorney Chris Heywood maintains that Billups is a man of integrity and would never jeopardize his legacy or career for gambling. “To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe he would risk everything for a card game,” Heywood said.

In addition to Billups, former NBA player Damon Jones and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier are also entangled in the legal fallout. Jones is accused of supplying inside information to gamblers related to NBA games. Rozier is scheduled for his arraignment on December 8, 2025, following his arrest connected to a scheme involving a March 2023 game.

Billups, a five-time All-Star and NBA Finals MVP, has been suspended by the NBA and is currently on unpaid leave from the Trail Blazers. Legal proceedings are set to resume in March 2026, where the court intends to discuss the progress of the case.