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After Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones were arrested last week due to their own alleged involvement in illegal gambling, speculation swirled that Gilbert Arenas cooperated with authorities to implicate the NBA figures.
The former NBA star, who found himself in trouble during his playing days, was charged earlier this year with operating an illegal gambling ring from a home he owned in Southern California.
Shortly after his arrest in July, Arenas, who pleaded not guilty, admitted he would be a “snitch.” But on Friday, during a live broadcast, he reiterated that he would only do so in his own case.
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NBA player Gilbert Arenas arrives at the District of Columbia court on January 15, 2010 in Washington, DC (Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)
Thus, Arenas denied any involvement in the most recent case.
“I don’t know what this is going to do with my case,” Arenas said. “I don’t think you just tell them cases you don’t know about. My case is different. I don’t know what my case has to do with niggas playing and reporting on NBA games. What does that have to do with me?”
“Common sense is common sense. It’s a whole different breed of – that shit has its own name. Mine didn’t have an operation name,” Arenas added, referring to the fact that Rozier and Jones were arrested as part of “Operation Nothing But Bet,” and that Billups and Jones were arrested as part of “Operation Royal Flush.”
A federal indictment obtained by PK Press Club Digital showed Arenas was charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gaming business, one count of operating an illegal gaming business and another count of making false statements to federal investigators.
Arenas, nicknamed “Agent Zero,” is suspected of renting a property in Encino, California, for the purpose of hosting high-stakes poker games, according to the Justice Department.
Close-up of Washington Wizards Gilbert Arenas (0) on the court during a game against the Phoenix Suns in Washington, DC (Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
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The federal indictment was filed in Los Angeles. According to the document, Arenas is accused of asking Arthur Kats to organize illegal games. Kats allegedly handled rent payments for other people who also played a role in the operation. Officials said they obtained text messages purporting to show conversations between Arenas and Kats about details of the games in question.
One of the defendants, Ievgen Krachun, was identified as the person who supervised the game because it allegedly took place inside the house, according to the indictment. Another defendant, Yevgeni Gershman, was described by the DOJ as an “alleged organized crime figure in Israel.”
During his career, Arenas was charged after bringing weapons into the team’s locker room during an argument with former teammate Javaris Crittenton. Crittenton served 10 years in prison for his role in a 2011 shooting.
Billups, Rozier and Jones, the latter a defendant in both cases, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The NBA announced that Billups and Rozier had been placed on immediate leave from their teams, “and we will continue to cooperate with the appropriate authorities.”
Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones were arrested Thursday. (Jaime Valdez/Imagn Images, Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
“The integrity of our game remains our top priority,” the NBA said.
