Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones is expected to plead guilty in an upcoming hearing in federal court for charges related to providing inside information to sports bettors.
The cheating allegations came to light as part of a wide-ranging investigation that led to the arrests of more than 30 people in October, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat point guard Terry Rozier. Some of those involved and arrested included members of New York’s organized crime families.
Jones, 49, was one of the few people implicated in both the sports betting operation and the poker scheme. He originally pleaded guilty to charges of fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy in the sports betting case. However, according to ESPN, he is expected to change that plea to guilty in a hearing on April 28.
He’s the first of the implicated NBA players and coach expected to enter a guilty plea.
Jones’ lawyer Kenneth Montgomery told ABC News his client isn’t cooperating with prosecutors. His not guilty plea in the poker operation remains in place for now.
Texts With Inside Information
Prosecutors allege Jones sold inside information on the NBA, including about injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, to co-conspirators in the case. Those accomplices then placed large wagers based on that information, according to the FBI.
“Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can eat,” Jones allegedly texted on Feb. 9, 2023, as part of the L.A. Lakers coaching staff, according to prosecutors.
The player mentioned in the text sat out that night and the Lakers ultimately lost the game. Prosecutors allege he provided non-public information to gamblers on other occasions as well. He was allegedly paid $2,500 in June 2024 by sports bettor Marves Fairley for information that led to a winning wager of $100,000.
Other Suspects In the Case
In January, the investigation saw the first suspect plead guilty to defrauding sportsbooks by using non-public information to place large wagers. Timothy McCormack was sentenced to two years in federal prison for his involvement in the case.
Billups was alleged to have helped to rig high-stakes poker games and has pleaded not guilty in the case. Rozier has also pleaded not guilty to any involvement in the sports betting scheme.
In related news, a 50-year-old Israeli citizen living in Woodland Hills pleaded guilty last week to helping organize high-stakes poker games for former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas. Gershman was previously convicted in Israel for conspiracy to commit murder and narcotics trafficking, according to federal prosecutors.
Arenas, Gershman, and four other men were arrested for organizing illegal gambling operations at Arenas’ mansion in Encino, California.
