(AsiaGameHub) – Multiple media outlets report that ex-NBA player and coach Damon Jones is set to plead guilty in two prominent US federal cases concerning illegal gambling.
Court documents indicate that Mr. Jones, who had initially pleaded not guilty, is scheduled to officially submit a guilty plea during a Brooklyn magistrates’ hearing on April 28.
Jones is among more than 30 defendants facing charges for fraud and poker game manipulation across various sports gambling indictments.
Prosecutors allege that the defendant played a major part in defrauding and manipulating private betting events by exploiting illicitly acquired, non-public details.
In this instance, Mr. Jones is accused of supplying bettors with illegal, confidential NBA data concerning specific games.
Authorities highlighted a specific match on February 9, 2023, between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. It is alleged that Mr. Jones informed an associate before the game and advised betting heavily on the Bucks before the public announcement that LeBron James would sit out due to injury.
The Lakers ended up losing that game. Further accusations suggest Jones also shared details regarding Anthony Davis’s anticipated participation in a different match. Reportedly, a substantial bet was placed on this false information. Authorities claim these information trades are part of a broader scheme to profit from insider knowledge, raising concerns about the integrity of professional basketball and team data security.
Organized crime ties to rigged poker games. Beyond the sports betting accusations, Jones faces allegations of participating in an elaborate poker fraud operation. Prosecutors state that Jones served as a “face card,” utilizing his fame to lure wealthy players into exclusive, rigged poker games.
These fraudulent games were reportedly orchestrated by organized crime groups using advanced rigging techniques. Indictments describe the use of hidden cameras in chip trays and tampered shuffling machines designed to identify specific cards.
Unaware that the game was fixed, the invited participants were set up to lose by Jones’s associates who coordinated their gameplay. Jones allegedly participated in these events and received compensation for recruiting players.
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