Ex-NBA Player Damon Jones Pleads Guilty In NBA Betting And Rigged Poker Schemes
Former NBA player Damon Jones pleaded guilty on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Brooklyn federal court to charges tied to a sports-betting scheme and a rigged poker operation and now faces prison time.
In back-to-back hearings, Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to the betting and poker cases. He told the court he used insider information from NBA relationships to place bets between December 2022 and March 2024, and prosecutors cited a charged text urging a big bet on Milwaukee.
The poker charges trace to a 2019 Las Vegas game prosecutors say used a rigged shuffling machine to defraud a player of $50,000. Authorities said the broader poker operation hit more than 10 victims and produced losses exceeding $9.5 million, and that Jones acted as a celebrity face card to lure high-end bettors in Miami and the Hamptons.
Sentencing guidelines called for 21 to 27 months in the betting case and 63 to 78 months in the poker case, but prosecutors agreed to subtract 15 months for Jones' plea. He agreed to forfeit $73,000 across both cases and is set for sentencing on January 6, 2027; prosecutors said 11 other defendants in the poker probe are expected to plead. Separately, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier appeared in court on Monday, April 27, where prosecutors signaled plans to add bribery and wire-fraud charges by mid-May.
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📌 Key Facts
- On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Damon Jones pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court in back-to-back hearings to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud — one in a sports-betting case and one in a rigged-poker case — and was the first of 34 defendants in the related indictments to admit guilt.
- Jones told the court he used “insider information” from relationships as a former NBA player to place sports bets and to defraud sports-betting companies between December 2022 and March 2024, including nonpublic injury information about NBA stars.
- Prosecutors cited a charged text from Jones urging a contact to “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight,” a message that appears to reference LeBron James; LeBron James is not accused of wrongdoing.
- In the poker prosecution, authorities say a 2019 Las Vegas game used a rigged shuffling machine to defraud a victim of $50,000, and prosecutors contend the broader poker scheme involved more than 10 victims with losses exceeding $9.5 million.
- Jones admitted he was paid to act as a “face card” at high-stakes games in Miami and the Hamptons, using his NBA celebrity to lure bettors and acknowledging he knew the games were rigged and players were being cheated.
- Sentencing guidelines call for 21–27 months in prison for the sports-betting count and 63–78 months for the poker count; prosecutors agreed to subtract 15 months in exchange for his plea, producing an effective guideline range of 48–63 months if followed, and Jones’s January 6, 2027 sentencing date is scheduled in federal court.
- Across the two cases, Jones agreed to forfeit a total of $73,000.
- Prosecutors told the court that eleven other defendants in the poker investigation are expected to reach plea agreements, while other defendants in the broader sweep — including Terry Rozier — have not agreed to plead and prosecutors signaled plans to seek additional bribery and wire-fraud charges in Rozier’s case by mid-May.
📰 Source Timeline (3)
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- On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Damon Jones pleaded guilty in back-to-back hearings in Brooklyn federal court to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one in a sports betting case and one in a rigged poker case.
- Jones told the court he used 'insider information' from his relationships as a former NBA player to defraud sports betting companies between December 2022 and March 2024, including nonpublic injury information about NBA stars.
- In the poker case, Jones admitted being paid to act as a 'face card' at games in Miami and the Hamptons, using his NBA celebrity to lure high-end bettors and acknowledging he knew the games were rigged and players were being cheated.
- Sentencing guidelines in the sports betting case call for 21-27 months in prison, while the poker case guidelines are 63-78 months, with prosecutors agreeing to subtract 15 months in exchange for his plea, for an effective range of 48-63 months if followed.
- Prosecutors said the poker scheme involved more than 10 victims and losses exceeding $9.5 million, and Jones agreed to forfeit a total of $73,000 across the two cases.
- The article reiterates that as of April 28, 2026, Jones is the first of more than 30 defendants in the broader gambling sweep to plead guilty, while other defendants, including former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, have not agreed to plead.
- On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Damon Jones pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court in the first of two scheduled plea deals, becoming the first of 34 defendants to admit guilt in a pair of related federal gambling indictments.
- Jones admitted in court that he used 'insider information' obtained through relationships from his NBA playing career to place sports bets, according to his prepared statement reported by the Associated Press.
- Prosecutors say a charged text from Jones urged a contact to 'Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight,' a message that appears to reference LeBron James, who is not accused of wrongdoing.
- Jones also pleaded guilty in a separate case involving a 2019 Las Vegas poker game that allegedly used a rigged shuffling machine to defraud a victim of $50,000.
- Prosecutors told the court that eleven other defendants in the poker investigation are expected to reach plea agreements.
- Jones' sentencing in the federal cases is scheduled for January 6, 2027.
- The article notes that Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, charged in a related betting probe, appeared in court on Monday, April 27, 2026, where prosecutors signaled plans to add new bribery and wire-fraud charges by mid-May after he previously pleaded not guilty.