Ex-NBA Guard Damon Jones Seeks Guilty Plea in Federal Gambling and Wire-Fraud Cases, Lawyer Says No Cooperation

Former NBA guard Damon Jones has asked a federal court to change his plea to guilty in two gambling- and wire-fraud-related cases, according to recent reporting. The charges stem from allegations that Jones provided inside information about player injuries to bettors; prosecutors say one alleged tip concerned a Feb. 9, 2023 game in which a prominent Lakers player widely identified in coverage as LeBron James did not play because of an ankle injury, and that a second tip about another top Lakers player (widely speculated as Anthony Davis) is accused of backfiring when that player performed well and the Lakers won. Jones's attorney, Kenneth Montgomery, has publicly stated that Jones "is not cooperating," a contested point in public discussion of the case.

Court filings and reporting include direct excerpts attributed to the Justice Department that illustrate the kind of messages prosecutors say were exchanged — one message allegedly from Jones reads, "Lol man y'all call Djones in cause y'all know I know what I'm doing!!" — and prosecutors also allege discussions of rigged poker games in the wider probe. Those details, combined with the specific dating of the Feb. 9, 2023 tip, give prosecutors a timeline tying alleged disclosures of nonpublic injury information to wagers placed around those contests.

Coverage has shifted over the past days: initial headlines framed Jones as "expected" to plead guilty, while more recent reports from outlets like ABC (picked up by other national outlets) describe a formal change-of-plea request and have published additional specifics and the lawyer's denial of cooperation. That evolution — from anticipation to confirmation of a plea filing and sharper sourcing of alleged messages and dates — has driven much of the recent attention. Social media reaction has been loud and mixed, with some users asserting Jones will "flip" for a reduced sentence and others urging that the plea underscores the reality of inside betting and organized leaks; those perspectives reflect public interest in whether this case will uncover broader insider activity or remain limited to the charges against Jones.