NBA Coach Billups Pleads Not Guilty To Mafia-linked Gambling

Billups, a previous Detroit Pistons star and NBA Hall of Famer, was arrested in connection with rigged illegal poker games


Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups pleaded innocent Monday to declared involvement in Mafia-linked prohibited gambling schemes that rocked the NBA, prosecutors stated.


Billups, a former Detroit Pistons star and NBA Hall of Famer, was jailed in connection with rigged prohibited poker video games tied to Mafia criminal offense households.


He was targeted in addition to Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier in an FBI-led investigation into the fraud that allegedly saw players cheated with making use of advanced methods including an X-ray table and barcoded card decks.


Dozens of other suspects were detained as part of the FBI probe.


Rozier and Billups were put on indefinite leave by the NBA after being detained in the betting examination.


Rozier and a former NBA player and assistant coach, Damon Jones, were among 6 in a separate sports betting case.


Billups was indicted on charges of conspiracy to dedicate wire fraud and cash laundering, to which he pleaded innocent Monday, the Eastern District of New York prosecutors' office verified to AFP.


Billups was released on bond after initially appearing in federal court in Portland, Oregon, and was represented by lawyer Marc Mukasey at a short hearing in a Brooklyn court on Monday.


Billups will now sign a $5 million bond in the Eastern District of New York for his pre-trial release, district attorneys included.


Prosecutors say Billups's celeb helped lure gamers to high-stakes games that used "high-tech unfaithful technology."


That tech consisted of shuffling makers that could check out cards, concealed cams and barcoded decks.


NBA commissioner Adam Silver said last month he was "deeply disrupted" by the far-ranging FBI probe into unlawful gaming.


"My initial reaction was I was deeply disturbed," Silver said in an interview with Amazon Prime.


"There's absolutely nothing more vital for the league and its fans than the stability of the competition."


Silver expressed regret that the accusations had actually taken attention far from the start of the season.


"I say sorry to our fans that we are all dealing with, now, this scenario," Silver stated.