X-ray tables to read cards, rigged shuffling machines and high-tech contact lenses: Mafia's 'wild methods to fix games in NBA poker ring'

The breathtaking methods the Mafia allegedly used to rig poker games and take millions of dollars from unsuspecting players have been exposed, according to the US government.

More than 30 people have been charged in connection with schemes involving illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by La Cosa Nostra, including NBA star Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups.

Billups is charged in the indictment alleging a brazen scheme to rig underground poker games, while Rozier is accused of participating in an illegal sports betting scheme using private insider NBA information.

The alleged scheme is said to have lured victims into rigged poker games, which took place in the Hamptons, Miami, Las Vegas and Manhattan, by giving them the chance to play alongside former pro athletes, including Billups and Damon Jones. 

In an explosive press conference on Thursday, United States Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. outlined how associates of New York's infamous Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese and Luchese crime families used X-ray tables and high-tech contract lenses to read cards. 

Nocella Jr. said: 'The defendants used a variety of very sophisticated cheating technologies, some of which were provided by other defendants in exchange for a share of the profits from the scheme.

'They used off the shelf shuffling machines that had been secretly altered in order to read the cards in the deck, predict which player at the table had the best poker hand and relay that information to an off-site operator. 

'The off-side operator sent the information via cellphone back to a co-conspirator at the table, who was known as "the quarterback", and they secretly signaled the information they had received to others at the table and together they used that information in order to win the games and cheat their victims. 

'Defendants used other cheating technologies, such as poker chip tray analyzers - which is a poker chip try that secretly reads cards using a hidden camera - special contact lenses or glasses that could read pre-marked cards and an X-ray table that could read cards faced down on the table.'

Nocella Jr. later revealed that the NBA has been cooperating with the investigation. In a statement to the Daily Mail, the NBA said: 'We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today. Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities.

'We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.'

The FBI, who have been investigating for four years, later claimed defendants robbed a victim at gunpoint in order to acquire a rigged shuffling machine. They say victims have lost at least $7million. 

The indictment of Rozier and others says there are nine unnamed co-conspirators including a Florida resident who was an NBA player and an Oregon resident who was an NBA player from about 1997 to 2014 and an NBA coach since at least 2021, as well as a relative of Rozier. 

Rozier was in uniform as the Heat played the Magic in Orlando, Florida, in the season opener for both teams on Wednesday evening, though he did not play in the game. 

He was taken into custody in Orlando early Thursday morning. The team didn´t immediately comment on the arrest but his attorney, Jim Trusty, issued a statement to investigative reporter Pablo Torre. 

It read: 'We have represented Terry Rozier for over a year. A long time ago we reached out to these prosecutors to tell them we should have an open line of communication. They characterized Terry as a subject, not a target, but at 6 a.m. this morning they called to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel.

'It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self surrender they opted for a photo op. They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case. They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing.

'Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.'

The case was brought by the U.S. attorney´s office in Brooklyn that previously prosecuted ex-NBA player Jontay Porter.

The former Toronto Raptors center pleaded guilty to charges that he withdrew early from games, claiming illness or injury, so that those in the know could win big by betting on him to underperform expectations.

Billups was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year. The five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA point guard led the Detroit Pistons to their third league title in 2004 as NBA Finals MVP.

Boston drafted the former Colorado star with the No. 3 pick overall in 1997. The player known as Mr. Big Shot also played for Toronto, Denver, Minnesota, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The 49-year-old Billups is in his fifth season as Portland´s coach, compiling a 117-212 record. The Trail Blazers opened the season Wednesday night at home with a 118-114 loss to Minnesota.

A game involving Rozier that has been in question was played on March 23, 2023, a matchup between the Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds of that game - and not only did not return that night, citing a foot issue, but did not play again that season.

Charlotte had eight games remaining and was not in playoff contention, so it did not seem particularly unusual that Rozier was shut down for the season´s final games.

In that March 23 game, Rozier finished with five points, four rebounds and two assists in that opening period - a productive quarter but well below his usual total output for a full game.

Posts still online from March 23, 2023, show that some bettors were furious with sportsbooks that evening when it became evident that Rozier was not going to return to the Charlotte-New Orleans game after the first quarter, with many turning to social media to say that something 'shady' had gone on regarding the prop bets involving his stats for that night.

A prop is a type of wager that allows gamblers to bet on whether a player will exceed a certain statistical number, such as whether the player will finish over or under a certain total of points, rebounds, assists and more.