Former NBA Player Damon Jones Pleads Not Guilty in Federal Gambling Cases
Former pro basketball star Damon Jones pleaded not guilty to charges connected to a sprawling mob-linked NBA betting scam Thursday.
The former Cleveland Cavaliers guard is accused of feeding inside information to sports bettors.
The indictment alleged that Jones encouraged a criminal partner to make a "big bet on Milwaukee" before the Bucks played a game on Feb. 9, 2023, against the Los Angeles Lakers. The indictment alleges that Lebron James was alated to sit out that game, information not known to the general public.
He is among several people charged, along with Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, in the sports betting case.
In the second case, Jones is accused of luring unsuspecting players to rigged poker tables and defrauding them out of millions.
Jones, along with NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups, allegedly served as "Face Cards," according to the indictment, which stated that in some instances "well-known former professional athletes" were used to "attract the victims" to participate in the rigged poker games and "received a portion of the criminal proceeds in exchange for their participation in the scheme."
