Chauncey Billups leaves the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse on Thursday after being arrested by the FBI on charges he allegedly participated in an illegal gambling ring. Image: OPB.
(The Post News)– The Portland Trail Blazers’ season was thrown into chaos on Thursday after head coach Chauncey Billups was arrested by the FBI on charges of wire fraud and money laundering allegedly connected to an illegal gambling ring with ties to the La Cosa Nostra crime syndicate.
The arrest came just hours after the Blazers’ opening night loss, sending shockwaves to the NBA community. Federal agents took Billups into custody at his home in Lake Oswego, Oregon, early Thursday morning.
According to federal court documents, Billups is accused of participating in a multi-year illegal gambling and sports-rigging operation involving members of several notorious East Coast Mafia families, including the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese clans, all part of La Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian crime organization that has operated in the U.S. since the 19th century.
Billups Released Under Strict Conditions
Billups appeared in federal court later in the afternoon before Magistrate Judge Jolie Russo for a brief, seven-minute hearing. According to the OPB Sports reports, the former NBA star spoke only once, acknowledging that he understood his right to remain silent. He was released shortly afterward under strict conditions, including the surrender of his passport and a prohibition against participating in any gambling activity.
His attorney, Chris Heywood, issued a firm denial of the allegations, saying Billups “intends to fight any and all charges.” “To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom,” Heywood said. “He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.”
During a morning press conference, FBI Director Kash Patel said Billups was one of several individuals linked to the NBA who were arrested in connection with the operation, which involved crimes ranging from wire and bank fraud to money laundering, crypto fraud, and illegal gambling.
The case is expected to unfold over the coming weeks, with potential implications across the NBA if further names emerge in the investigation.
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