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NBA Player Damon Jones Pleads Guilty to $10M Fraud Scheme

4/29/2026

37 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Damon Jones, NBA player, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn to two wire-fraud conspiracies.
He sold injury info on LeBron James and Anthony Davis from Dec 2022 to Mar 2024 and acted as a paid “face card” in rigged poker games in Miami, earning $2,500 each.
Prosecutors say the schemes generated over $10 million, defrauding more than ten victims of $9.5 million and setting sentencing for Jan 6 2027 with 63 months prison and a $73,000 forfeiture.

History

Historical Context

The FBI’s July 2007 probe into NBA referee Tim Donaghy revealed he bet on games he officiated, leading him to plead guilty on August 15 2007 and receive a 15-month prison term in July 2008. That precedent of insider betting underpins the 2024 wire-fraud case against former player Damon Jones, prompting tighter NBA monitoring and federal oversight.

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Story summary

Damon Jones, NBA player, pleaded guilty in Brooklyn to two wire-fraud conspiracies.
He sold injury info on LeBron James and Anthony Davis from Dec 2022 to Mar 2024 and acted as a paid “face card” in rigged poker games in Miami, earning $2,500 each.
Prosecutors say the schemes generated over $10 million, defrauding more than ten victims of $9.5 million and setting sentencing for Jan 6 2027 with 63 months prison and a $73,000 forfeiture.

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