Chauncey Billups
Hall of Famer, 2004 NBA Finals MVP with Detroit and former Portland Trail Blazers head coach.
- Entries
- 12
- On the record
- 5
- Stories
- 1
- Latest entry
- Oct 22, 2026
The record
Chauncey Billups was arrested in Oregon on October 23, 2025, the day federal prosecutors in Brooklyn unsealed an indictment charging 31 people with rigging illegal poker games. The indictment, returned by a grand jury in the Eastern District of New York on October 9, 2025, says that since at least 2019 cheating teams used secretly altered card-shuffling machines and other devices to read the cards, at games run with the approval of members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese crime families, and took millions of dollars from players. It names Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones as "Face Cards", well-known former athletes used to attract wealthy victims. Billups is charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. His lawyer said he has never gambled on basketball games and disputed the accusations.
Billups pleaded not guilty on November 24, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Ramon Reyes and was released on a $5 million bond secured by his home in Colorado. Each charge carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. On March 4, 2026 Reyes set a November 2, 2026 trial date, and prosecutors said they expected to offer plea agreements to 12 defendants. In October 2026 ESPN reported that the remaining defendants, Billups among them, were scheduled for trial in early 2027, after co-defendant Eric Earnest pleaded guilty in the poker case and in a separate NBA betting case. Billups was not charged in the betting case, but its indictment describes an unnamed Oregon-based coach who allegedly tipped Earnest about a March 2023 Trail Blazers game. Earnest's lawyer said Billups never gave Earnest inside information.
The National Basketball Association placed Billups on immediate leave the day of his arrest, saying it took the allegations with the utmost seriousness. The same morning, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was arrested in the separate betting case. The Portland Trail Blazers, who had hired Billups as head coach on June 27, 2021, kept him on unpaid leave and named assistant Tiago Splitter interim coach; on June 23, 2026 they named Micah Nori head coach. As a player, Billups was Finals MVP for the Detroit Pistons in the 2003-04 season, and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced him as a member of its Class of 2024.
Questions people ask
Why was Chauncey Billups arrested?
He is one of 31 defendants in a federal indictment over rigged illegal poker games backed by organized crime families. Prosecutors say he was a "Face Card", a former pro athlete used to draw wealthy players into games where cheating teams read the cards with hidden technology. source
What is Chauncey Billups charged with?
Wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, each with a maximum of 20 years in prison. He pleaded not guilty on November 24, 2025 and was released on a $5 million bond, using his Colorado home as collateral. source
When is the Chauncey Billups trial?
Judge Ramon Reyes first set it for November 2, 2026. ESPN reported on October 22, 2026 that the remaining defendants in the poker case, including Billups, were scheduled for trial in early 2027. source
Who replaced Chauncey Billups as Trail Blazers coach?
Assistant Tiago Splitter coached Portland on an interim basis and was then hired by the Chicago Bulls. The Trail Blazers hired Micah Nori, a Minnesota Timberwolves assistant, as head coach in June 2026. source
Roles and honours on the record
- 2004 NBA Finals MVP, Detroit Pistons (2003-04 season) source
- 2021-2025 Head coach, Portland Trail Blazers, named June 27, 2021 source
- 2024 Inductee, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Class of 2024 source
- as of 2026 Defendant, United States v. Aiello et al., No. 1:25-cr-00314 (E.D.N.Y.), the rigged poker case source
Every entry, newest first
- Filed
Charged in connection with an illegal poker operation tied to the Mafia, USA Today reported. NBA betting cases: Porter banned, Rozier and Billups indicted
Stories in this file
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The record, entry by entry
- 2004 Official The NBA's list of Finals MVPs names Billups of the Detroit Pistons as the winner for the 2003-04 season. NBA.com, history of Finals MVP winners
- 2021-06-27 Official The Portland Trail Blazers named Billups the 15th head coach in franchise history. Portland Trail Blazers announcement
- 2024 Official The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Billups among the 13 inductees in its Class of 2024, enshrined in October 2024. NBA.com on the Hall of Fame Class of 2024
- 2025-10-09 Filed A grand jury in the Eastern District of New York indicted Billups and 30 others, alleging that since at least 2019 cheating teams used altered shuffling machines, card-reading chip trays and marked cards to rig illegal poker games protected by Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese crime family members. It describes Billups as a member of the cheating teams and one of the "Face Cards" used to attract wealthy victims. Indictment, United States v. Aiello et al., E.D.N.Y.
- 2025-10-16 Filed A separate indictment in the NBA betting case, which does not charge Billups, alleges that an unnamed co-conspirator living in Oregon, an NBA player from about 1997 to 2014 and an NBA coach since at least 2021, told co-defendant Eric Earnest before a March 24, 2023 Trail Blazers game against the Chicago Bulls that the team would be tanking and that several of its best players would sit. Indictment, United States v. Earnest et al., E.D.N.Y.
- 2025-10-23 Filed Billups was arrested in Oregon as the poker indictment was unsealed, charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. His lawyer, Chris Heywood, said Billups has never gambled on basketball games and disputed the government's accusations. ESPN report
- 2025-10-23 Official The NBA placed Billups and Heat guard Terry Rozier, arrested the same day in the betting case, on immediate leave, saying it took the allegations with the utmost seriousness. The Trail Blazers said they were fully cooperating with the investigation. ESPN report quoting NBA and team statements
- 2025-11-24 Reported Billups pleaded not guilty in Brooklyn federal court. Judge Ramon Reyes set a $5 million bond secured by his home in Colorado and said he hoped to start the trial in September 2026; Tiago Splitter was coaching the Trail Blazers on an interim basis. ESPN report on the arraignment
- 2026-03-04 Ruled Judge Reyes ruled that Billups, Damon Jones and their co-defendants would stand trial beginning November 2, 2026. Prosecutors said they expected to offer plea agreements to 12 defendants; Billups remained on unpaid administrative leave from the Trail Blazers. ESPN report on the trial date
- 2026-06-23 Official The Trail Blazers named Micah Nori head coach, with general manager Joe Cronin announcing the hire after what he called an extensive search. Portland Trail Blazers announcement
- 2026-10-22 Reported Eric Earnest pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in both the poker and betting cases; his lawyer said Billups "did not at any time provide inside information" to him. ESPN reported that the remaining defendants in both cases, including Billups, were scheduled for trial in early 2027. ESPN report on the Earnest plea
Documents
- Indictment, United States v. Aiello et al., No. 1:25-cr-00314 (E.D.N.Y.), filed Oct. 9, 2025
- Same indictment as published by the U.S. Attorney's Office, E.D.N.Y.
- Indictment, United States v. Earnest et al., No. 25-cr-323 (E.D.N.Y.), the NBA betting case
- Trail Blazers announcement naming Billups head coach (June 27, 2021)
- Trail Blazers announcement naming Micah Nori head coach (June 23, 2026)
- ESPN on the Earnest guilty plea and the 2027 trial schedule (Oct. 22, 2026)