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Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., was excited about the start of the Portland Trail Blazers’ new season, but just one day after the team opened, the team became mired in controversy following an FBI investigation.
Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, along with Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA guard Damon Jones, were among more than two dozen arrests as part of a wide-ranging FBI investigation Thursday. Billups was allegedly involved in a nationwide poker ring involving members of the La Cosa Nostra crime families.
Wyden, who loves basketball, having played at UC Santa Barbara in the 1960s, was just as shocked as the rest of sports fans upon hearing the news, especially since it impacted his hometown team.
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Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., dons a Portland Trail Blazers-themed Rip City hat in the Hart Building on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.)
“I will tell you it’s a very sad day for all of us as sports fans,” Wyden told reporters when asked what he thought about the investigation. He did not wish to make further comments.
Joseph Nocella, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said Thursday when announcing the investigation that the alleged schemers in the poker takedown targeted victims known as “fish” who were lured by giving them the chance to play alongside former professional athletes like Billups. These athletes were known as “face cards”.
HOW CHAUNCEY BILLUPS AND DAMON JONES WERE USED TO MIND VICTIMS FROM ILLEGAL POKER GAMES
Nocella added that the “fish” didn’t know the “face cards” were part of the scheme.
As for the sports gambling side of the investigation, Nocella said the schemers allegedly received non-public information about who would not participate in upcoming games or when they would withdraw early due to injuries or illnesses.
There was one specific case discussed by Nocella, when Jontay Porter, a former Toronto Raptors player, was banned for life from the NBA and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a gambling scheme last year.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) leaves a Senate Democratic meeting at the U.S. Capitol, October 3, 2025, in Washington, DC. The federal government shut down early Wednesday after Congress and the White House failed to reach a funding deal. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“In one case, they obtained their information by threatening a current gambler, Porter, because of his pre-existing gambling debts,” Nocella said, referring to the La Cosa Nostra crime families. “The defendants used this information to place hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent bets – primarily in the form of prop bets on individual player performances.
“The defendants relied on a network of straw bettors to place as many bets as possible to increase their potential profits. Most of these bets were successful and the expected losses were in the millions of dollars. The defendants then laundered their illegal winnings in a variety of ways.”
The Blazers released a statement on Billups later Thursday.
“We are aware of the allegations involving head coach Chauncey Billups, and the Trail Blazers are fully cooperating with the investigation,” the team said. “Billups has been placed on immediate leave and Tiago Splitter will serve as interim head coach.
“Any further questions should be directed to the NBA.”
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden speaks at the rally to say NO to tax breaks for billionaires and corporations at the U.S. Capitol on April 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Countess Jemal/Getty Images)
The NBA, which cooperated with the investigation, placed Billups and Rozier on immediate absence.
“We are reviewing the federal indictments announced today,” the league said. “Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are immediately placed on leave from their teams and we will continue to cooperate with the appropriate authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
