📍PORTLAND, Ore. — On Thursday morning, the entire sports world was rocked by news that the FBI had arrested 34 people, including Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, in connection with two different gambling cases.
Billups was charged with one count of wire-fraud conspiracy and one count of money-laundering conspiracy as part of a case alleging that he was involved in rigging illegal poker games backed by the mafia. He was not named as a defendant in the sports-betting case for which Rozier was indicted, although an unnamed co-conspirator in that case who strongly matches Billups' description is accused of providing insider information about the Blazers planning to sit a player to tank a game in 2023.
"Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others," Billups' lawyer, Chris Heywood of Hoffman Law, said in a statement on Thursday. "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. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game. Furthermore, Chauncey Billups has never and would never gamble on basketball games, provide insider information, or sacrifice the trust of his team and the League, as it would tarnish the game he has devoted his entire life to. Chauncey Billups has never backed down. He does not plan to do so now. He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court."
Earlier Thursday, Billups was arraigned on the charges at Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse in downtown Portland, and then released on bond.
Here's how the afternoon unfolded at the courthouse.
Billups walked into a courtroom on the 10th floor of Hatfield Courthouse at 1:30 p.m. in a brown sweatshirt emblazoned with the logo of Klutch Sports Group, the agency that represents him. He was accompanied by Heywood, his attorney.
A lawyer for the U.S. government was also present for the hearing in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie Russo.
Billups was read his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, and the government's attorney laid out the charges being brought against him. A signed agreement between the two parties for Billups' conditional release from custody was discussed and signed off on by both sides.
The judge laid out six conditions for Billups' release:
He will be required to pay what was described as a "substantial" bond.
He will be required to surrender his passport to the authorities.
He will be prohibited from having any kind of contact with any of his co-defendants.
He will be prohibited from engaging in any kind of gambling-related activities.
He will not be allowed to own any firearms.
His travel will be restricted to Oregon, Colorado (where he's from and where he and his family also own a home) and New York (where his trial is taking place in November).
Billups sat expressionless during the hearing, only saying two words. When asked by Judge Russo if he understood that he had the right to remain silent, he responded, "Yes." When asked if he objected to the conditions for his release, he answered, "No."
No plea was entered, and Billups is currently scheduled to stand trial in Brooklyn on Monday, Nov. 24 at 10 a.m.
About two hours later, Billups exited the courthouse through a side door accompanied by his wife, Piper, and his daughter, Cydney, as well as Heywood and one other man. He was once again expressionless and did not say a word as a crowd of reporters followed him with cameras. Some shouted questions at him, including: "Did you defraud these people of millions of dollars?"
The entire group got into a black SUV parked in front of the courthouse, which drove off.
Sean Highkin
