An NBA Hall of Famer, a current star and former player are among dozens of people arrested Thursday in a sweeping FBI crackdown on alleged illegal gambling rings.
Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones, each mainstays of professional basketball for years, were indicted alongside more than 30 other suspects who include alleged members of prominent organized crime families.
The NBA said in a statement that Rozier and Billups were being put on leave and that the league is cooperating with authorities. Jones is not currently employed by the league.
One of the federal cases unveiled Thursday involves allegations of cheating in high-stakes poker games operated by mafia figures. The elaborate cheating scheme netted more than $7 million from rigged games, prosecutors said.The other case revolves around 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. Here’s a look at who’s who in the case:
Chauncey Billups
Steph Chambers / Getty Images 
Billups, the 49-year-old head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024. His 17-year NBA playing career included a championship with the 2004 Detroit Pistons, as well as stints with the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers and other teams.
The poker ring indictment alleges that wealthy people were invited to “rigged games” with well-known former professional athletes, known as “face cards,” who received a portion of proceeds from “cheating teams.”
One such game, in April 2019 in Las Vegas, allegedly involved both Billups and Jones and used a device described as a “rigged shuffling machine” that was secretly altered to read the cards. The FBI said a victim was defrauded of $50,000 in that game.
Terry Rozier
Scott Taetsch / Getty Images 
The only current player in the indictments, Rozier is a 31-year-old guard for the Miami Heat, nicknamed “Scary Terry” and, according to the FBI indictment, “Chum.”
Rozier is one of six people charged in the sports betting case.
The indictment highlights a March 23, 2023, game involving the Charlotte Hornets, who Rozier played for at the time. Rozier allegedly told a “longtime friend” he would leave the game early, claiming to be injured. The indictment accuses Rozier of providing that information so that his friend could place bets that predicted Rozier would underperform during the game, known as betting on his “unders.” Rozier stopped playing that night after nine minutes. His friend, Deniro Laster, and two others, who are also charged, allegedly placed “more than $200,000 in wagers predicting Rozier’s “under” statistics,” officials said.
An attorney for Rozier, James Trusty, said prosecutors “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 NBA said in a statement Thursday, “We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
Damon Jones
Jones, a former NBA player and coach who now lives in Texas, is accused of participating in the poker scheme as a “face card” and member of the “cheating teams,” according to the indictment in that case.
The former Cleveland Cavaliers guard is also accused in the sports betting case of attempting to give inside information to bettors on “a prominent NBA player,” who appears to be LeBron James based on the description of a particular Lakers game. The superstar and Jones played on the Cavaliers together nearly two decades ago. James is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images 
Ernest Aiello
Aiello, of Wantagh, New York, is described in the poker indictment as “a member of the Bonanno Crime Family of La Cosa Nostra.”
Nelson Alvarez
Alvarez, who the indictment describes as being nicknamed “Spanish G,” is accused of being a part of the poker “cheating teams.” He is from Uniondale, New York.
Louis Apicella
The 50-year-old New Rochelle, New York, resident is described in the poker indictment as “an associate of the Gambino Crime Family” and a member of the “cheating teams.”
Ammar Awawdeh
The 34-year-old Brooklyn resident, nicknamed “Flapper Poker” and “Flappy,” according to the indictment, is described as a member of the Gambino Crime Family who allegedly organized rigged poker games.
Saul Becher
Becher, a 45-year-old from the Bronx, allegedly organized rigged poker games.
Matthew Daddino
Nicknamed “the Wrestler,” according to the FBI, Daddino is a resident of Franklin Square, New York. He is accused of being a member of the Genovese Crime Family member and of receiving proceeds from some of the poker games.
Eric Earnest
The 53-year-old St. Louis resident, known as “Spook,” according to the indictments, is accused in both cases. He was allegedly among the poker “cheating teams” and is also accused of using insider information to bet on NBA games.
Marves Fairley
The Mississippi resident, described as being nicknamed “Vez,” “Vezino” and “Vezino Locks,” posts frequently on social media about sports betting. He is accused of agreeing to pay Deniro Laster for information about Rozier’s alleged plan to leave the March 23, 2023, game early.
Lee Fama
The 57-year-old Brooklyn resident and alleged member of the Gambino Crime Family is accused of receiving proceeds from some of the poker games.
John Gallo
A 53-year-old Brooklyn resident, Gallo is described in the poker indictment as an associate of the Gambino Crime Family and a member of the “cheating teams.” He is accused of organizing one of the allegedly rigged games.
Marco Garzon
A 39-year-old from Elizabeth, New Jersey, Garzon is accused of being among the “cheating teams” in the poker ring.
Thomas Gelardo
Nicknamed “Juice,” according to the poker indictment, the 42-year-old resident of Scarsdale, New York, is described as “an associate of the Bonanno Crime Family and later an associate of the Genovese Crime Family.” He is accused of working with others to extort a person “to secure the repayment of debt from illegal poker games.”
Jamie Gilet
The 40-year-old from Jericho, New York, is accused of being on the poker “cheating teams.”
Tony Goodson
Goodson, a 52-year-old Forsyth, Georgia, resident described as being nicknamed “Black Tony,” allegedly helped “provide cheating technology” for the poker scheme and was also among the “cheating teams.”
Kenny Han
The 40-year-old Queens resident is accused of being among the poker “cheating teams.”
Shane Hennen
Nicknamed “Sugar,” according to the indictments, the 40-year-old Las Vegas resident is accused in both cases. Hennen allegedly organized rigged poker games and provided “cheating technology.” Separately, law enforcement officials said he directed “his associates to place bets on Rozier’s unders.”
Osman Hoti
The 44-year-old Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, resident — described as being nicknamed “Albanian Bruce” and “Big Bruce” — allegedly provided security at one of the poker games.
Horatio Hu
The 37-year-old Queens resident is accused of being among the poker “cheating teams.”
Zhen Hu
A resident of Brooklyn, he is accused of being an organizer of some of the games and of working with others to extort a person “to secure the repayment of debt from illegal poker games,” according to the indictment. The 37-year-old is described in court documents as having several nicknames, including “Jonathan Chan,” “Jonathan Hu,” “Scruli,” and “Stanley.”
Joseph Lanni
Described in the indictment as a member of the Gambino Crime Family, the 54-year-old Staten Island resident is accused of receiving proceeds from at least one poker game.
Deniro Laster
A key player in the sports betting indictment, Laster — who’s described as being nicknamed “Niro,” “Payso” and “Peso” — is accused of orchestrating payments and collecting cash. At one point he allegedly “drove through the night to Rozier’s house, where together they counted the profits together.”
John Mazzola
The 43-year-old from Gray, Georgia, is described as being nicknamed “John South,” and accused of being a member of the “cheating teams.”
Curtis Meeks
The 41-year-old Elgin, Texas, resident allegedly “worked with others to provide cheating technology” for the poker scheme.
Nicholas Minucci
Allegedly an associate of the Gambino Crime Family, the 39-year-old East Northport, New York, resident is accused of being a member of the “cheating teams.”
Michael Renzulli
The 42-year-old Islip, New York, resident is accused of being among the “cheating teams.”
Angelo Ruggiero, Jr.
Allegedly an associate of the Gambino Crime Family, according to prosecutors, the 53-year-old Howard Beach, New York, resident is accused of receiving proceeds from at least one poker game.
Anthony Shnayderman
Described as being nicknamed “Doc,” Shnayderman is accused of laundering criminal proceeds from the poker scheme.
Robert Stroud
Described as being nicknamed “Black Rob,” the 67-year-old Louisville, Kentucky, resident allegedly organized rigged poker games and provided “cheating technology” for the scheme.
Seth Trustman
An alleged associate of the Lucchese Crime Family, the 43-year-old Queens resident is accused of organizing rigged games.
Sophia Wei
Nicknamed “Pookie,” the 40-year-old Queens resident is accused of being among the “cheating teams.”
Julius Ziliani
Described as being a member of the Bonanno Crime Family nicknamed “Jay,” the 54-year-old Wayne, New Jersey, resident is accused by prosecutors of working with others to extort a person “to secure the repayment of debt from illegal poker games.”
