by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
Thirty-four people were indicted in connection with two separate federal gambling investigations.
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested on Thursday, Oct. 23, as part of a federal gambling investigation, CNN reports.
Rozier was arrested in Orlando. Billups was in Portland.
They are among 34 people indicted in connection with two separate federal gambling investigations that were announced by the Eastern District of New York.
Billups, a Hall of Fame player, is alleged to have participated in “rigged” poker games that took place in Manhattan, Miami, Las Vegas, and the Hamptons, according to officials. The games were attended by members of at least three of New York’s mafia families.
Rozier, who was cleared by the NBA of gambling accusations, was accused of sharing information about players on a team’s roster with bettors before games were played.
“We have represented Terry Rozier for over a year,” his lawyer, Jim Trusty, told CNN. “A long time ago, we reached out to these prosecutors to tell them we should have an open line of communication. 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.
“…(Authorities) appear to be taking the word of spectacularly incredible 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.”
The NBA, the Trail Blazers, and Heat have yet to comment on the arrests.
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Source: Black Enterprise
