The walls are closing in. Twelve defendants in the NBA mafia poker scandal are set to accept plea deals with federal prosecutors, court filings confirmed on March 3. At least nine others are in what prosecutors described as “productive conversations” about pleading guilty. That leaves Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones, and a handful of co-defendants heading toward a federal trial that now has a firm date: November 2, 2026 in Brooklyn.
Update, September 28, 2026: Damon Jones pleaded guilty on April 28 to two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, covering both the poker case and the betting case, and will be sentenced on January 6, 2027. Chauncey Billups has pleaded not guilty, and his trial has moved from November 2 to March 2027, with jury selection set for March 8. The case also features in our roundup of poker players awaiting trial or sentencing.
If you missed the original case, the full background is in our breakdown of the NBA mafia poker scandal. The short version: 31 defendants, $7 million allegedly stolen from victims across at least 25 rigged games, and ties to the Gambino, Genovese, and Bonanno crime families.
What the Plea Deals Actually Mean
When 12 out of 31 defendants flip before trial, it usually means the government's evidence is strong enough that fighting it in court looks like a losing bet. Federal prosecutors in this case have built a serious hand: body-worn camera footage, records from seven seized electronic devices and Apple iCloud accounts, over 100,000 pages of financial and phone records, 800 pages of surveillance photographs, and pole camera footage from 147 Lexington Avenue in Manhattan, one of the alleged game locations.
On top of that, prosecutors produced approximately 7 terabytes of electronic data seized from individual defendants at the time of their October 2025 arrests. That's an enormous amount of material to fight. Plea deals before trial also typically come with cooperation agreements, which means some of those 12 could end up testifying against the remaining defendants.
Federal Judge Ramon Reyes set the November 2 trial date during a status hearing at the United States Courthouse in Brooklyn. Because there are too many defendants to try at once, prosecutors and defense attorneys are still working out how to divide the case. That structure will matter a lot for Billups and Jones specifically.
Where Billups and Jones Stand Right Now
Billups has been on unpaid administrative leave from the Portland Trail Blazers since his arrest last October. He posted bail and has been living outside of Portland since his arrest. He's charged with money laundering and wire fraud, with prosecutors alleging he served as a celebrity lure who brought wealthy targets to the rigged games. One organizer reportedly texted that a victim “acted like he wanted to give Chauncey the money because he was so starstruck.”
Jones was also charged in a second, separate case over selling LeBron James and Anthony Davis injury information to sports bettors while working as an NBA assistant. The March filing did not name Billups or Jones among those considering plea deals. Jones changed course in April and pleaded guilty, while Billups is still fighting the charges.
The Cheating Setup Was Elaborate
For anyone who hasn't read the original indictment, the technical side of this operation is worth knowing. The alleged setup included modified card-shuffling machines with hidden sensors, cameras embedded inside chip trays, X-ray equipment under tables, and special glasses that let confederates read card values. This wasn't a few friends marking cards in a back room. It was a structured, multi-year operation that allegedly ran from 2019 through to the arrests in 2025 across Manhattan, Las Vegas, Miami, and the Hamptons.
It's also a reminder of why serious money games in unregulated environments carry real risk. Licensed online poker rooms operate under regulated RNG audits and financial oversight that makes this kind of physical cheating impossible by design.
What Happens Next
Billups' trial will not start on November 2 after all. Prosecutors asked for more time, and jury selection is now set for March 8, 2027 in Brooklyn, with the trial expected to last about four weeks.
Jones is due to be sentenced on January 6, 2027. More than a dozen defendants have now pleaded guilty, and each cooperation agreement potentially adds another witness the prosecution can call against Billups at trial.
This case was already one of the most unusual in poker history the moment an NBA Hall of Famer and an active head coach showed up in a federal indictment. With Jones out of the trial and the defense ranks thinning fast, it's only going to get stranger from here.
