Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups pleads not guilty to crimes stemming from alleged poker scheme

By Mark Morales, CNN

New York (CNN) — Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty Monday to charges stemming from a scheme to help lure unsuspecting gamblers to a mob-run poker game they didn’t know was fixed.

The Hall of Famer, wearing a gray suit, appeared with his attorney in federal court in Brooklyn along with 30 other members of the scheme.

“We enter a plea of not guilty your honor,” said his attorney Marc Mukasey.

Billups, Portland’s head coach since 2021, is charged in an elaborate scheme in which marks were lured to participate in rigged poker games in part with the opportunity to play alongside the five-time NBA All-Star as well as others.

Billups, US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said at a news conference last month, knowingly served as the so-called “face card,” to attract the “fish” to underground games in Miami, New York, Las Vegas and the Hamptons that they had no chance of winning. Those involved in the scheme used rigged card-shuffling machines, poker chip trays and even special contact lenses or eyeglasses that could read pre-marked cards, according to the indictments handed down by investigators. In some instances, the alleged conspirators used X-ray tables that reveal cards when they are placed face down.

Nocella said the scheme, deemed “Zen Diagram” by the feds, “fleeced” victims out of tens of millions of dollars. One alleged victim lost $1.8 million. The money was then laundered by New York crime families, according to the indictments.

Billups is currently on leave from the Trail Blazers. Tiago Splitter is taking on head coaching duties in the interim.

Prosecutors discussed the distribution of what they called “voluminous” evidence and argued for a protective order so they could send evidence from electronics seized during arrest, phone records, surveillance images and other pieces of evidence. In all, prosecutors said about one terabyte of evidence would be available on a rolling basis.

There was brief discussion to split the large group of defendants into smaller groups, but the judge decided to keep them together for now.

All are due back in court March 4, when they will have access to the large ceremonial courtroom.

US District Judge Ramon Reyes also told prosecutors that even though there is a lot of evidence and 31 defendants, he doesn’t want the case to drag on.

“I want things to start in September of next year,” Reyes told prosecutors.

Billups posted a $5 million dollar bond to secure his release. The bond, which was secured by his wife and daughter, used property in Colorado for collateral.

Billups agreed to have no contact with witnesses, co-defendants or members of organized crime and was also told not to gamble. He’s also supposed to report any transactions over $25,000, except for legal fees.

Billups also had to turn over his passport and had to report any travel to pre-trial services.

“Come to court when you’re supposed to, don’t interact with any witnesses who are going to testify against you, and don’t commit any crimes,” Reyes told Billups.

CNN’s Dana O’Neil contributed to this report.

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