Portland Coach Chauncey Billups Rejects Charges Tied To Allegedly Fixed Poker Games

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, an inductee of the Basketball Hall of Fame, entered a not guilty plea on Monday concerning allegations of profiting from illicit poker games with connections to Mafia figures and at least one former NBA player. Billups, a five-time All-Star and 2004 NBA champion with the Detroit Pistons, faced arraignment in a Brooklyn federal court on charges linked to money laundering and wire fraud, each potentially resulting in a 20-year prison sentence. Prosecutors allege Billups participated in rigged poker games across various high-profile locations. A status conference was held, and trial proceedings are anticipated by next September. Billups, dressed in a dark suit, answered questions solely in affirmatives, as his attorney dismissed the accusations. Having been released on a $5 million bond, with travel restrictions imposed, Billups is also barred from gambling. The investigation implicates over 30 individuals in extensive illegal gambling operations.