Copyright CBS News
Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones entered not guilty pleas Thursday in two cases alleging his involvement in illegal gambling rings. He was released on a $200,00 bond, secured by his parents' Texas home, after the appearance in federal court in Brooklyn, New York. Jones is accused of participating in a pair of schemes that together saw dozens of alleged mafia figures and athletes charged on Oct. 23. One scheme revolved around alleged cheating in high-stakes poker games operated by reputed members of the mob. The other case involves bets on basketball games, which were allegedly placed using insider information related to injury reports. Jones is among three people arrested in connection with both schemes. In total, 34 people were charged across two indictments. The former Cleveland Cavaliers guard is accused of sharing or attempting to share inside information with bettors. The sports betting indictment alleges he gave others a tip about "a prominent NBA player," who appears to be LeBron James, a former teammate and longtime friend. James is not accused of any wrongdoing. The indictment alleges Jones sent a text message to a co-conspirator on Feb. 9, 2023, saying: "Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight." James missed the Lakers' game that night against the Milwaukee Bucks due to ankle soreness. Jones is separately accused of participating in an elaborate poker cheating scheme in which victims were allegedly lured to play in rigged games against athletes — referred to as "face cards," prosecutors said. The indictment, which names dozens of defendants including NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, claims Jones was one such "face card." Prosecutors say the cheating scheme brought in more than $7 million for participants. According to the indictment, the games were orchestrated using high tech gadgets including X-ray tables, a rigged card-shuffling machine, hidden cameras and glasses designed to detect otherwise invisible markings on cards. Billups and Rozier have not yet entered a plea in the case.
