A National Basketball Association player and coach are among dozens of people charged in two investigations centred on illegal sports betting and mafia-linked poker games, the FBI has announced.
Miami Heat player Terry Rozier was among six people arrested over alleged betting irregularities, including other players who may have faked injuries, according to reports.
Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, meanwhile, is one of 31 people charged in a separate illegal poker game case involving former players and organised crime figures.
FBI Director Kash Patel called the arrests “extraordinary” and said there was a “coordinated takedown across 11 states”.
Federal investigators had been probing unusual betting activity related to a March 2023 game Rozier played for the Charlotte Hornets, according to CBS.
Officials were investigating whether Rozier manipulated his performance in the game for an illegal sports gambling scheme, according to The Athletic.
During the game, Rozier played roughly nine minutes and scored just five points against the New Orleans Pelicans because of a sore right foot.
Before that game, he averaged 35 minutes of playing time and about 21 points per game.
By BBC News
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