Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups pleads not guilty in NBA gambling case.
Chauncey Billups walked into a Brooklyn courtroom like a man who’d just been called for a foul he swears he didn’t commit. Smooth suit, serious face, probably wishing this was a timeout instead of a federal arraignment. The accusation? Being part of an alleged Mafia-style poker operation. The plea? A firm “Not guilty.”
Prosecutors claim Chauncey was the celebrity magnet of the ring. Basically, the guy who shows up so everyone else thinks, “Hey, this must be legit.”
He is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering after allegedly taking part in a $7million rigged poker scheme backed by the Bonanno, Genovese, and Gambino organized crime families. The charges carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison if he is convicted.
The case’s 31 co-defendants, including Billups, remained in the Eastern District of New York courtroom after his arraignment for a status conference, where Judge Ramon E. Reyes said he hopes to start the trial by September of 2026. A few attorneys previously suggested the case could take years, but Reyes said Monday that is ‘not his intention.’
Billups didn’t let the magnitude of the case put him down, he suited up like an innocent soul to face the court.
Dressed in a grey suit, Billups appeared calm alongside his attorney Marc Mukasey, who entered the ‘not guilty’ plea on the 49-year-old Basketball Hall of Famer’s behalf. Outside of answering ‘yes’ to a series of Reyes’ questions about his case, Billups remained quiet over his hour or so in the courtroom. Upon adjournment, Billups exited alongside Mukasey without uttering a word to pursuing media.
Billups’ bond has been set at $5 million. Mukasey said his client would post property as collateral and Billups’ wife and daughter co-signed the bond. The former University of Colorado star already surrendered his passport and agreed to pre-trial travel restrictions limiting him to Oregon, Colorado, and New York.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gibaldi told the court Monday that some defendants have already begun plea negotiations with his office.
The Feds are saying they have people taking plea deals left and right on this case and spilling their guts, we will see if Chauncey stays strong or cop a plea.
For now, Billups says he’s innocent, the case keeps unfolding, and somewhere, Netflix executives are taking notes.
