Ex-NBA participant Damon Jones first to plead responsible in playing sweep

NEW YORK — A scorching hand on the hardwood, former NBA participant Damon Jones as soon as proclaimed himself “one of the best shooter on the planet.” As an assistant coach, he helped information the Cleveland Cavaliers to their solely championship in 2016.

But after his taking part in and training days ended, Jones betrayed the sport he beloved, solemnly admitting in courtroom Tuesday that he exploited his fame and insider entry to revenue from sports activities betting and rigged poker video games.

Jones, 49, turned the primary individual to plead responsible in a playing sweep that led to the arrests of greater than 30 folks, together with reputed mobsters and different basketball figures.

During back-to-back hearings in Brooklyn federal courtroom, Jones entered responsible pleas to 2 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his position in schemes to defraud main sportsbooks, together with DraftKings and FanDuel, and filch tens of millions of {dollars} from unwitting poker gamers.

Sitting alongside his lawyer and studying from a ready assertion, Jones acknowledged that he aided the betting conspiracy with “insider information that I obtained as a result of my relationships as a former player.”

“I would like to sincerely apologize to the court, my family, my peers and also the National Basketball Association,” Jones informed Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo.

Jones stated the sports activities betting conspiracy, which ran from December 2022 to March 2024, concerned utilizing his information of nonpublic details about accidents to NBA stars, together with his one-time teammate, LeBron James, to realize an edge in sports activities bets.

Jones acknowledged that his actions not solely broke the legislation, however that additionally they violated the NBA’s code of conduct and the sports activities betting web sites’ phrases of service.

A ‘face card’ for rigged poker video games

At the second of his two hearings, Jones admitted he was paid to behave as a “face card” at poker video games in Miami and the Hamptons through the use of his NBA movie star to “lure high-end bettors” to the desk.

“I knew these games were rigged and that players were being cheated,” Jones said as he read from another statement. He apologized again, telling Marutollo: “I’m really sorry to everyone involved for my actions.”

Jones and his lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, declined to remark as they left the courtroom. Swarmed exterior by reporters, photographers and TV cameras, Jones stated solely: “To God be the glory.”

He stays free on bail and will not be sentenced till early subsequent yr, Marutollo stated.

Jones is scheduled for back-to-back sentencing hearings on Jan. 6 — earlier than Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall within the sports activities betting case and earlier than Judge Ramon Reyes within the poker video games case.

In the sports activities betting case, sentencing tips name for a punishment of 21 to 27 months in jail. In the poker video games case, Jones would face 63 to 78 months in jail, however prosecutors agreed to subtract 15 months from the sentence in alternate for Jones pleading responsible earlier than April 30. That would put his potential sentence at 48 to 63 months in jail if the decide follows the rules.

Jones faces an extended jail sentence within the poker video games case partly as a result of it concerned greater than 10 victims and a loss to them of greater than $9.5 million.

As a part of his plea agreements, Jones agreed to surrender a complete of $73,000 and, at sentencing, may very well be ordered to pay further sums as restitution.

The first defendant to plead responsible

None of Jones’ co-defendants have proven a willingness to plead responsible. On Monday, prosecutors stated they have been looking for extra costs in opposition to one other sports activities betting defendant, former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.

Jones was arrested in October together with Rozier and Chauncey Billups, who was head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and is a Basketball Hall of Famer.

Others charged embrace Marves Fairley, a sports activities bettor accused of cashing in on damage data, and reputed members of the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno crime households, which benefited from the poker scheme and used violence and threats to make sure the compensation of money owed and success of the operation, prosecutors stated.

Jones was certainly one of three folks charged in each the poker and sports activities betting schemes.

Originally from Galveston, Texas, Jones earned greater than $20 million taking part in for 10 groups in 11 seasons from 1999 to 2009. He and James performed collectively in Cleveland from 2005 to 2008, and Jones served as an unofficial assistant coach for James’ Los Angeles Lakers through the 2022-2023 season.

According to prosecutors, Jones bought or tried to promote nonpublic data to bettors that James was injured and wouldn’t be taking part in in a Feb. 9, 2023, sport in opposition to the Milwaukee Bucks, texting an unnamed co-conspirator: “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out” and “Bet enough so Djones can eat.”

James wasn’t listed on the Lakers’ damage report on the time of the textual content, however the NBA’s all-time scoring chief was later dominated out of the sport due to a decrease physique damage and the Lakers misplaced the sport 115-106, based on prosecutors.

On Jan. 15, 2024, prosecutors stated, Fairley paid Jones roughly $2,500 for a tip that Anthony Davis, a Lakers’ ahead and centre on the time, would see restricted taking part in time in opposition to the Oklahoma City Thunder due to an damage.

Fairley, who has pleaded not responsible, then positioned a $100,000 wager on the Thunder to win, prosecutors stated, however the tip was fallacious. Davis performed his common minutes, scored 27 factors and picked up 15 rebounds in a 112-105 Lakers win, prompting Fairley to demand a refund of his $2,500 charge, prosecutors stated.

In the poker scheme, prosecutors say Jones was amongst former NBA gamers used to lure unwitting gamblers to poker video games that have been rigged utilizing altered shuffling machines, hidden cameras, particular sun shades and even X-ray tools constructed into the desk.

According to the indictment, Jones was paid $2,500 for a sport within the Hamptons the place he was instructed to cheat by paying shut consideration to others concerned within the scheme. When doubtful, Jones was informed to fold his hand, prosecutors stated.

In response, based on prosecutors, Jones texted: “Y’all know I know what I’m doing!!”