The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested 34 individuals, including NBA coach Chauncey Billups and player Terry Rozier, as part of a sweeping investigation into an illegal gambling scheme linked to La Cosa Nostra crime families. The operation, which spans years, involves organized criminal activity that not only targeted the NBA but also operated within the La Cosa Nostra network, including its Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese families.
FBI Director Kash Patel highlighted the complexity of the case, stating that the investigation revealed a dual criminal operation that combined fraudulent sports betting with the long-standing influence of the La Cosa Nostra. Patel emphasized that the FBI’s actions were aimed at dismantling this systemic fraud, which has involved significant financial deception and the exploitation of victims through illegal poker games and other sports-based scams.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella added that the defendants, including former professional athletes, used high-tech methods to rig poker games in the Hamptons, Las Vegas, and Manhattan, with the backing of the Bonanno, Gambino, and Genovese families. The scheme involved targeted victims, referred to as