Chauncey Billups, the esteemed NBA coach, has found himself at the center of a legal storm as allegations surface linking him to a Mafia-run gambling ring. His lawyer, however, has come out strongly against these claims, asserting that Billups is a person of high moral character who intends to clear his name in court.

At 49, Billups, who serves as the head coach for the Portland Trail Blazers, was taken into custody by federal agents during a coordinated sweep on Thursday morning. These raids were part of an investigation into an alleged illicit gambling scheme tied to the infamous Italian-American Mafia group, La Cosa Nostra.

Authorities allege that Billups, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame just last year, was recruited by La Cosa Nostra to act as a ‘face card’—a prominent figure used to entice victims into high-stakes poker games. These games reportedly swindled participants out of millions. Alongside Billups, Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier is among over 30 individuals facing similar accusations.

Reacting to the surprising arrest, Billups’ attorney, Chris Heywood, has publicly defended his client, passionately arguing that Billups would never engage in such deceitful activities. Heywood emphasized that Billups’ character and achievements stand in stark contrast to the charges being leveled against him.

“Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others,” Heywood declared in a statement released to ESPN. He questioned the logic behind the accusations, highlighting the improbability that Billups would gamble with his esteemed legacy, personal reputation, and freedom for the sake of a card game.

‘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. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.

Chauncey Billups’ lawyer has denied his alleged involvement in a Mafia-led gambling ring

The Portland coach was detained by federal agents in a series of raids early Thursday morning

‘Furthermore, Chauncey Billups has never and would never gamble on basketball games, provide insider information, or sacrifice the trust of his team and the League, as it would tarnish the game he has devoted his entire life to. 

‘Chauncey Billups has never backed down. He does not plan to do so now. He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court.’

The alleged scheme set out in the indictment is said to have lured victims into rigged poker games, which took place in the Hamptons, Miami and Las Vegas as well as Manhattan, by giving them the chance to play alongside former pro athletes, including Billups and Damon Jones.

In an explosive press conference on Thursday, United States Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr outlined how associates of New York’s infamous Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese and Luchese crime families allegedly used X-ray tables and high-tech contact lenses to read cards.

Nocella Jr said: ‘The defendants used a variety of very sophisticated cheating technologies, some of which were provided by other defendants in exchange for a share of the profits from the scheme.

‘They used off the shelf shuffling machines that had been secretly altered in order to read the cards in the deck, predict which player at the table had the best poker hand and relay that information to an off-site operator.

‘The off-side operator sent the information via cellphone back to a co-conspirator at the table, who was known as “the quarterback”, and they secretly signaled the information they had received to others at the table and together they used that information in order to win the games and cheat their victims.

‘Defendants used other cheating technologies, such as poker chip tray analyzers – which is a poker chip try that secretly reads cards using a hidden camera – special contact lenses or glasses that could read pre-marked cards and an X-ray table that could read cards faced down on the table.’

Billups, pictured with his wife Piper Riley, is in his fifth year of coaching the Trail Blazers

Terry Rozier is also accused of participating in a betting scheme using insider information

Billups – who wore a brown hoodie – did not enter a plea during the hearing in Portland, Oregon

Nocella Jr later revealed that the NBA has been cooperating with the investigation. In a statement to the Daily Mail, the NBA said: ‘We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today. Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. 

‘We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.’

The FBI, which has been investigating the case for four years, later claimed defendants robbed a victim at gunpoint in order to acquire a rigged shuffling machine. They say victims have lost at least $7million.

Chauncey was seen outside a courthouse in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday. Both he and Rozier face money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges. 

Rozier was in uniform as the Heat played the Magic in Orlando, Florida, in the season opener for both teams on Wednesday evening, though he did not play in the game.

He was taken into custody in Orlando early Thursday morning. The team didn’t immediately comment on the arrest but his attorney, Jim Trusty, issued a statement to investigative reporter Pablo Torre.

Trusty claimed during the initial hearing that the NBA star is ‘a man who doesn’t gamble.’ He later told reporters he believes Rozier has a ‘great case.’