Chauncey Billups’ attorney vows Blazers coach won’t back down
Hours after Chauncey Billups was arrested as part of a… A pair of sprawling federal statuesHis legal team has a message.
He will not back down from the fight
Billups, a Hall of Fame player and current head coach of the Trail Blazers, was one of three people associated with the NBA and 31 people overall arrested in connection with two alleged schemes, one involving rigged poker games and another involving insider sports betting tips.
Heat guard Terry Rozier and former player and coach Damon Jones have also been arrested as part of the shock cases.
Billups and Jones, federal prosecutors allege, They were two of the “face cards.” They were used in a Mafia-linked poker rigging scheme that sought to lure “fish” to get them to spend big money.
The ring allegedly used technologyincluding rigged X-ray card tables, card shuffling games, and special glasses and contact lenses, for cheating games.
Billups and Rozier have been placed on leave by the NBA.
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Billups’ attorney, Chris Heywood, told ESPN through a statement that the former guard is an “honest man” who intends to fight the case.
The FBI has arrested 31 people involved in a fake poker ring supported by organized crime families in New York City.
- Ernest Aiello – famous Bonanno mobster
- Nelson “Spanish J” Alvarez
- Louis “Law Up” Apicella
- Ammar “Flapper Poker” Al Awawda
- Saul Becher — Professional poker player
- Chauncey Billups – Portland Trail Blazers coach, NBA Hall of Famer and 2004 NBA champion
- Matthew “The Wrestler” Dadino
- Eric “Scary” Ernest
- Lee Fama — Professional poker player
- John Gallo
- Marco Garzon
- Thomas “Tommy Joyce” Gilardo – a famous Lucchese gangster who was indicted in 2013 for Porn star girlfriend hit
- Jimmy Gillette
- Tony “Black Tony” Goodson
- Kenny Hahn
- Shane “drunk” her
- Usman “Albanian Bruce” hottie
- Horatio is
- Chen “Scrolly” is
- Damon “Dee Jones” Jones – NBA player from 1998 to 2009
- Joseph Laney
- John “John South” Mazzola
- Curtis Mix
- Nicholas Minucci
- Michael Renzulli
- Anthony Ruggiero Jr
- Anthony “Doc” Schneiderman
- Robert “Black Robe” Stroud
- Seth Trustman
- Sophia “Bucky” Wee
- Julius Ziliani
“Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he’s an honest man, and honest men don’t cheat and defraud others,” Heywood said.
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“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government accuses him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not risk those things for anything, let alone a game of blackjack.”
Billups was not named in the sports betting indictment, but rather “Conspirator 8.” Who allegedly passed a tip About the Blazers players resting during the 2023 game, it fits his description.
Billups never provided inside information to others, Heywood said.
“Furthermore, Chauncey Billups has never and will never gamble on basketball games, provide inside information, or sacrifice the trust of his team and the league, because that would tarnish the game to which he has dedicated his entire life.
“Chauncy Billups has never backed down. And he has no intention of doing so now. He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that has defined his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court.”
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