Chauncey Billups Pleads Not Guilty as NBA Poker Scandal Arrives in Court

The NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups had pleaded not guilty this week after federal charges of money laundering, extortion and conspiracy were brought against him and several other high-profile basketball stars, a celebrity artist and other names possibly including mafia contacts. Easily the most recognisable ‘face card’ in the alleged scam, however, is Billups and his not guilty plea in Oregon on Monday could set a precedent for the remaining defendants in the case.

What Has Chauncey Billups Been Accused Of?

The NBA poker scandal is wide-ranging and has so far seen 31 people indicted by a federal investigation over many years. Chauncey Billups, the NBA Hall of Famer, is the biggest name to be caught in the net and if found guilty, the current Portland Trail Blazers head coach could face up to 20 years in a federal prison.

Federal investigators said when they indicted Billups and others that they believed the gang to have lured poker players to the felt in crooked cash games by involving Billups, Terry Rozier and other NBA and celebrity names as ‘face cards’, essentially there to hook in players. Once there, federal investigators allege that the game could not be won, and through various means of x-ray cards, a hacked card shuffling machine and the aforementioned ‘face cards’ feeding back information, millions were stolen from unsuspecting players.

Billups is alleged directly by officials to have received a payment of $50,000 from the criminals organizing the games. While on the face of it that may seem unlikely – Billups earned over $100m during a spectacular career in basketball – the feds suggested that they had such compelling evidence ahead of the trial that they expected multiple defendants to plead guilty in order to save themselves prison time.

Billups Takes the Stand

“He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.”

Once he made his way past the throng of reporters, Billups entered the court and pleaded not guilty to all the charges set before him. As a key defendant in the case, denying his part in what prosecutors have called a cruel and exploitative criminal enterprise sets a precedent. Billups will need to find answers at trial at to where that $50,000 payment came from, but further, why he was in those games and if he was an innocent party, how he came to play at the felt.

Billups’ attorney, Chris Heywood, told reporters that the former Detroit Pistons starting point guard was a man of “integrity”.

“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall of Fame legacy, his reputation and his freedom,” Heywood declared. “He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.”

What Are the Odds of Billups Escaping Jail?

While Heywood’s comments speak of Billups’ good character, the case will be decided on evidence, something that federal investigators believe prosecutors have plenty of. Billups’ fellow NBA basketball player Terry Rozier is another defendant, while the celebrity artist Sophie ‘Pookie’ Wei will also take to the stand at a later date.

Judge Ramon E. Reyes accepted Billups’ plea and put a $5 million bond on the NBA legend, with NBC News reporting that Billups put up his Colorado home as collateral. His current freedom depends on certain conditions, including but not limited to no gambling or association with any members of organized crime gangs.

The high stakes world of private cash games has been rocked by the revelations of the case and with the high-tech criminal scam allegedly linked to the Gambino, Bonanno and Genovese families, a lot is on the line for everyone involved.

While court reports detail that several defendants are considering plea deals to accept their role in the scam, Billups is risking 20 years of his life in jail on the court believing in his innocence. It’s a high risk, potentially miraculous reward play. In poker, it would be the equivalent of a triple barrel bluff on the river with fresh air and all the chips on the line.

Here’s how Chauncey Billups arrived at the courthouse to defend his name.