Federal prosecutors have accused former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Damon Jones, who reportedly served as an “unofficial assistant coach” for the Los Angeles Lakers in the course of the 2022-23 season. of promoting non-public medical details about LeBron James to bettors as a part of a sweeping NBA playing investigation.
Jones allegedly “used his entry to confidential participant data to revenue from unlawful wagers” whereas working alongside organized crime-linked gamblers, in line with the indictment unsealed Thursday within the Japanese District of New York.
The investigation additionally led to arrests of Miami Warmth guard Terry Rozier and Portland Path Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, tying a number of NBA figures to what prosecutors described as a multi-state, Mafia-backed betting ring.
U.S. Lawyer Joseph Nocella Jr. known as it “some of the brazen sports activities corruption schemes since on-line sports activities betting turned broadly legalized in america.”
In a single cited change, Jones allegedly texted a co-conspirator, “Get an enormous guess on Milwaukee tonight earlier than the data is out! [Player 3] is out tonight.” The Los Angeles Instances confirmed that the sport referenced, a February 9, 2023, matchup between the Lakers and Bucks, coincided with James sitting out because of ankle soreness.
The indictment additional claims Jones was paid 1000’s for offering insider ideas all through the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. Not each wager was profitable, in a single case, prosecutors say a $100,000 guess primarily based on a supposed damage to a different Lakers star misplaced, and Jones was pressured to return a $2,500 payment.
“Didn’t know that Jones was allegedly promoting damage data to gamblers,” a supply near LeBron James instructed The Instances that the Lakers famous person. The Lakers declined to touch upon the investigation.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated the probe uncovered “a coordinated community of NBA insiders and arranged crime members exploiting non-public participant data for large monetary achieve.”
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