Former NBA guard and assistant coach Damon Jones pleaded not responsible on Thursday (November 6) to conspiracy prices tied to two separate federal playing circumstances.
Within the first case, prosecutors say Jones, greatest identified for his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, shared inside info with sports activities bettors. In keeping with the indictment, he allegedly advised an affiliate to put a “large wager on Milwaukee” earlier than the Bucks confronted the Lakers on February 9, 2023. Prosecutors declare Jones knew LeBron James would sit out with a lower-body damage and handed that info alongside earlier than it grew to become public.
Jones is one in every of a number of individuals charged within the scheme, a gaggle that additionally consists of Miami Warmth guard Terry Rozier.
Damon Jones additionally pleads not responsible in rigged poker recreation case
Within the second case, Jones is accused of serving to lure gamers into rigged high-stakes poker video games, allegedly defrauding them out of hundreds of thousands. Investigators say these video games started in 2019 and passed off within the Hamptons, Manhattan, Las Vegas, and Miami.
Former NBA participant and assistant coach Damon Jones arrived in court docket immediately to plead not responsible on unlawful playing and poker case prices.
Jones’ mother and father put their house in Houston up as collateral to assist bail the 49-year-old out of jail on $200,000 bond.pic.twitter.com/UsaCvltx9q
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) November 6, 2025
When he appeared in Brooklyn federal court docket Thursday, Jones wore a darkish go well with and a blue shirt with no tie, and he sipped an orange Gatorade he purchased from the courthouse espresso store. He entered not-guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit cash laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Choose Ramon Reyes famous that Jones could negotiate a plea deal earlier than the case goes to trial.
He was then launched on a $200,000 bond secured by his mother and father’ house in Houston. As a part of his launch, he’s barred from contacting co-defendants, witnesses, or anybody linked to organized crime.
Different co-defendants seem in court docket
Additionally showing in court docket Thursday was Robert L. Stroud of Louisville, Kentucky. He pleaded not responsible to wire fraud conspiracy, cash laundering conspiracy, and theft conspiracy. In keeping with prosecutors, Stroud allegedly helped stage a gunpoint theft to steal a selected mannequin of rigged card-shuffling machine to be used within the unlawful poker operation. He was launched on a $100,000 unsecured bond and ordered to keep away from playing and organized-crime contacts whereas on house incarceration.
Bettor Marves Fairley pleaded not responsible to prices associated to the NBA betting case immediately in federal court docket in Brooklyn. Fairley stays free on $200,000 bond.
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) November 6, 2025
One other defendant, Mississippi resident Marves Fairley, additionally appeared in court docket. The indictment says Fairley paid Jones a $2,500 charge utilizing a peer-to-peer cost app and was concerned in a separate scheme linked to Terry Rozier. Prosecutors declare that whereas Rozier was with the Charlotte Hornets, he deliberately underperformed in a March 2023 recreation, serving to a betting group win greater than $200,000 on prop bets.
In keeping with prosecutors, co-defendant Deniro Laster bought inside details about Rozier’s plan to go away the sport early, which guided the group’s “below” bets. Fairley and one other co-conspirator allegedly agreed to pay Laster $100,000 from the winnings. Fairley pleaded not responsible to a number of prices and was launched on a $200,000 bond. He has additionally been linked, though not charged, in a separate inquiry into suspicious school basketball betting exercise.
NBA and Congressional committee reportedly meet
In the meantime, the NBA itself is dealing with rising scrutiny. On Wednesday, league officers met with staffers from the Home Vitality Committee to clarify how the NBA is dealing with the scandal.
In keeping with ESPN, the dialog coated the league’s relationships with authorized sportsbooks and its insurance policies to forestall leaks of delicate, private info that might have an effect on betting odds. Commissioner Adam Silver and Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum reportedly didn’t attend the assembly.
Featured picture: Evan Sidery by way of X
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