Crime

Here’s a look at the Miami Heat guard and two others in NBA named in indictments

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Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier, ex-NBA players and mafiosos charged in gambling scheme

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested in a Brooklyn FBI’s sprawling gambling probe after wire-fraud conspiracy indictments were unsealed, alleging tens of millions in fraud.


A Miami Heat player, a former Heat player and an NBA coach were charged in an illegal sports betting scheme totaling “tens of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery,” federal law-enforcement authorities announced Thursday.

The three indicted with NBA connections are Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier; Damon Jones, a former NBA player who played with the Heat for one season; and Chauncey Billups, the head coach of the Portland Trailblazers and a former player.

READ MORE: Heat’s Terry Rozier arrested as part of FBI gambling investigation

Prosecutors in Brooklyn federal court filed two separate wire fraud indictments: one involving six defendants accused of betting on NBA statistics using insider information, and another involving 31 defendants allegedly running “rigged” poker games connected to New York crime families.

Rozier and Jones were indicted in the sports betting case; Jones was also indicted in the poker games case, along with Billups.

The charges include accusations of using non-public information about NBA teams and players to commit fraud.

READ MORE: Q: What’s a prop bet? A: How the Heat’s Rozier is accused of betting on himself

Here are the three charged that have NBA ties:

Terry Rozier, 31

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) reacts after a play against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second half of their NBA preseason game at the Kaseya Center on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, in downtown Miami, Fla.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) reacts after a play against the Memphis Grizzlies in the second half of their NBA preseason game at Kaseya Center on Oct. 17, 2025, in Miami. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com

The Miami Heat guard was arrested Thursday morning in Orlando, where the Heat stayed overnight following Wednesday’s 125-121 season-opening loss to the Orlando Magic.

He was placed on immediate leave by the NBA on Thursday. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2015 and later played for the Charlotte Hornets before being traded to the Heat in 2024.

According to ESPN, a professional bettor placed 30 wagers in just 46 minutes, all tied to Rozier’s performance in a Hornets vs. New Orleans Pelicans game. Documents obtained by ESPN showed that on March 23, 2023, the better wagered $13,759 on Rozier’s statistical unders before Rozier exited early with a foot injury, leading all 30 bets to win.

An NBA investigation found Rozier didn’t violate NBA rules.

Chauncey Billups, 49

PORTLAND, OREGON - SEPTEMBER 29: Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers poses for a portrait during media day at Moda Center on September 29, 2025, in Portland, Oregon.
PORTLAND, OREGON - SEPTEMBER 29: Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers poses for a portrait during media day at Moda Center on September 29, 2025, in Portland, Oregon. Steph Chambers Getty Images

The Portland Trail Blazers head coach played for seven NBA teams since being drafted by the Celtics in 1997. His final run was with the Los Angeles Clippers from 2011-2013. He became head coach of the Blazers in 2021.

The five-time All-Star, two-time All-Defense and three-time All-NBA was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.

He was charged with conspiring to fix high-stakes card games in Las Vegas, Miami, Manhattan and the Hamptons that were backed by Mafia families.

The NBA placed him on immediate leave on Thursday.

Damon Jones, 49

CLEVELAND - JUNE 14: Damon Jones #19 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game Four of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on June 14, 2007, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
CLEVELAND - JUNE 14: Damon Jones #19 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game Four of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on June 14, 2007, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Lisa Blumenfeld Getty Images

Jones was an assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2016 to 2018. During his 15-year professional basketball career, he played point guard and shooting guard for several teams, including the Miami Heat during the 2004-2005 season.

He is accused of relaying information about players who would not be participating in certain games, the indictment read.

One of those games was a Feb. 9, 2023, game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. Jones allegedly told someone James would not be playing, and advised the person to bet on the Bucks.

This story was originally published October 23, 2025 at 3:00 PM.

MM
Milena Malaver
Miami Herald
Milena Malaver covers crime and breaking news for the Miami Herald. She was born and raised in Miami-Dade and is a graduate of Florida International University. She joined the Herald shortly after graduating.
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Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier, ex-NBA players and mafiosos charged in gambling scheme

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested in a Brooklyn FBI’s sprawling gambling probe after wire-fraud conspiracy indictments were unsealed, alleging tens of millions in fraud.