Former NBA player Damon Jones is set to plead guilty Tuesday in a sweep tied to rigged poker and injury info sold to bettors, the first plea among 30+ arrests.
New York (Misryoum) — Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones is scheduled to plead guilty Tuesday in a federal gambling case that prosecutors say combined rigged poker with the sale of nonpublic injury information to sports bettors.
The case is moving quickly toward a pivotal moment: if Jones does not change course. he would become the first defendant to enter a guilty plea in a sweep that has produced more than 30 arrests. including figures prosecutors have described as having ties to organized crime and basketball-related influence.
Jones. 49. is expected to appear in Brooklyn federal court for a pair of back-to-back plea hearings before Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo.. Court records indicate he is likely to plead guilty to at least one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. according to the charging framework described in the court filings.. Prosecutors say the broader operation reached beyond gambling mechanics and into information that. if true. undermines the integrity of professional sports betting.
Jones previously pleaded not guilty in two related matters involving wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.. Both counts carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and as of now he remains free on bail.. His attorney, Kenneth Montgomery, did not comment when asked about the upcoming proceedings.
The timeline of the case begins with Jones’ arrest last October, when investigators moved in alongside other high-profile names.. Among those arrested were former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups. along with additional defendants including a sports bettor accused of cashing in on injury information.
For basketball fans. the most striking element is how deeply the allegations reach into the day-to-day uncertainty that surrounds stars—who is hurt. who is out. and how that affects lineups.. Prosecutors contend Jones cashed in by supplying nonpublic injury details about players. including his one-time teammate LeBron James and former Lakers forward Anthony Davis.. The claim is that bettors received information about whether players were injured and might not play. or could play reduced minutes. before that became public through teams’ official injury reports.
That alleged flow of private information is precisely why the case matters beyond courtrooms.. Betting markets react to every update. and nonpublic intelligence can distort odds. damage consumer trust. and create an uneven playing field for casual bettors who don’t have access to inside data.. When those allegations include high-profile NBA figures. the impact becomes even more visible—on social media. with sportsbooks. and across league conversations about integrity.
In the poker portion of the investigation. prosecutors describe an additional layer of alleged manipulation—rigged games designed to trap victims.. Investigators say Jones was among former NBA players used to lure unsuspecting players into poker sessions that were not conducted fairly.. The indictment language. as reflected in the case description. points to altered shuffling machines. hidden cameras. specialized sunglasses. and equipment embedded in the table itself.
Within that scheme. the court record narrative also claims Jones was instructed to cheat by carefully observing other participants. and when uncertain. to fold.. Prosecutors say Jones was paid $2,500 for a game in the Hamptons, where the instructions to rig outcomes allegedly took place.. The description also references a text Jones sent—after being directed on how to behave when he was unsure—underscoring how prosecutors believe the operation was coordinated among insiders.
Jones’ background adds another dimension to how the allegations are being received.. He earned more than $20 million during a pro career that spanned 10 teams across 11 seasons from 1999 to 2009. later serving as an assistant coach in the NBA environment. including time as an unofficial assistant to LeBron James during the 2022–2023 season with the Lakers.. Prosecutors say his relationships and familiarity with elite basketball culture helped create access—both to people and. in their view. to information.
The next procedural step will be crucial.. While Jones is set to plead during hearings Tuesday in Brooklyn. prosecutors have indicated they may pursue additional charges against a co-defendant. Terry Rozier.. The reason this matters is simple: in cases of this size. one plea can change leverage. prompt more cooperation. and accelerate how other defendants resolve their own strategies.
What Jones’ plea could change for the wider case
In the broader sense. the sweep reflects a growing sensitivity around sports wagering—especially when the alleged misconduct involves both gambling operations and behind-the-scenes sports information.. As the case moves through plea negotiations and potential sentencing paths. it will also test how effectively the justice system can separate wrongdoing from complicated sporting realities like injury updates. lineup decisions. and the natural noise of day-to-day performance.
For now, the immediate focus remains on Tuesday’s hearings—whether the former NBA player’s courtroom decision becomes the first step in a faster unraveling of a case that prosecutors say connected rigged poker games to the betting market’s most valuable commodity: timely, nonpublic information.