Ex-NBA player Damon Jones first to plead guilty in pair of gambling cases
Former NBA player Damon Jones has become the first defendant to plead guilty in two federal gambling-related indictments involving 34 people, admitting to using insider information for sports betting and participating in rigged poker games. He pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, with prosecutors alleging over $10 million in losses across the schemes. Jones acknowledged using connections from his NBA career to fuel the illegal operations and apologized in court. His sentencing is scheduled for January 6, 2027.
- ▪Damon Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud conspiracy related to sports betting and rigged poker games.
- ▪He admitted to using insider information from his NBA connections, including tipping on a game involving a prominent player believed to be LeBron James.
- ▪One scheme involved a rigged Las Vegas poker game in 2019 that defrauded a victim of $50,000 using a tampered card-shuffling machine.
- ▪Federal prosecutors allege total losses exceeding $10 million across both indictments, which also include mafia-linked activities.
- ▪Jones' sentencing is set for January 6, 2027, while other defendants, including Terry Rozier, have not yet pleaded guilty.
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