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Major Poker Fraud: 31 Indicted, NBA Stars Charged

10/26/2025

Center

Billups Charged in Fraud

Federal prosecutors indicted 31 defendants in a poker scheme defrauding players of over $7 million since 2019.
Chauncey Billups, Portland Trail Blazers head coach, and Damon Jones, former NBA player, were charged as "face cards."
The operation used cheating technology, including X-ray tables and rigged shufflers, and employed violent tactics to enforce debts.
Joseph Lanni, Gambino crime family captain, faces multiple charges, including armed robbery and threats of violence.

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Mafia Families Charged

Federal authorities in New York City charged members of Gambino, Bonanno, Lucchese, and Genovese crime families with rigging illegal poker games, netting nearly $7 million.
The Gambino, Bonanno, Lucchese, and Genovese crime families used high-tech devices, including shuffling machines and hidden cameras.
The indictment names 32 individuals linked to the operation.
Experts say the case shows the mafia's ongoing influence in New York City despite a decline in power from corporate takeovers and prosecutions.

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Billups Charged in Fraud

Federal prosecutors indicted 31 defendants in a poker scheme defrauding players of over $7 million since 2019.
Chauncey Billups, Portland Trail Blazers head coach, and Damon Jones, former NBA player, were charged as "face cards."
The operation used cheating technology, including X-ray tables and rigged shufflers, and employed violent tactics to enforce debts.
Joseph Lanni, Gambino crime family captain, faces multiple charges, including armed robbery and threats of violence.

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