Federal Investigation Probing More Suspicious NBA Betting Activity

Federal prosecutors are continuing an investigation into an NBA betting scandal that has already led to charges against six people, including two former NBA players.

The two ex-NBA players were among those charged in October as part of a conspiracy in which Rozier and Porter traded insider information on the placement of prop bets involving the two players to people who then placed bets on those outcomes. Three of the other four people charged have already pleaded guilty.

According to lawyers for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, one of those three people, Tim McCormack, has told them he was involved in the fixing of other NBA games. McCormack pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud after he personally placed bets on those games. Last week, he was sentenced to two years in Federal Prison.

“The government has ongoing investigations,” David Berman, an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, said in court, according to reporting by The Athletic. “And our understanding is the defendant has conducted himself in similar manners in other instances as well.”

At this point, it’s unknown how many other games are under investigation for betting irregularities or if other NBA players are involved in the scandal.

“We continue to assist the relevant authorities in their investigation as well as work with federal and state regulators on appropriate limitations on the types of bets placed on NBA games,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass told The Athletic. “The integrity of our game remains our highest priority.”

Porter and Rozier were banned from the NBA

Both Porter and Rozier were banned from playing in the NBA for their roles in this insider information trading ring. Both players provided non-public information on their status entering a game that enabled sports gamblers to wager on prop bets for which they knew what the outcome would be before the game started.

Both players told bettors that they would be taking themselves out early in specific games. Bettors were then able to wager on the under on several prop bets involving the two players.

Former NBA player Malik Beasley has also been under investigation for more than a year for his alleged involvement in illegal sports betting. However, to date, no charges have been filed against Beasley.

“To my understanding, he’s still under federal investigation, but there’s been no recent direction on what terms they’re looking at him,” Beasley’s attorney Steve Haney told The Athletic.

Thirty-four people were arrested and charged last October as part of this federal investigation into illegal betting. Along with the rigging of NBA games, a ring that was rigging poker games operating in conjunction with New York mobsters was also discovered. Famous athletes were participating in the games, serving to lure others into the rigged games.

Basketball Hall of Famer and former Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was charged as part of this investigation. He pleaded not guilty.

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