Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty Monday to multiple charges stemming from his FBI arrest for illegal gambling, according to USA Today.
Billups, 49, was arraigned in a Brooklyn courthouse Monday, where he pleaded not guilty to charges of “wire fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy,” per USA Today.
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Billups was originally arrested by the FBI in October after his alleged involvement in an illegal gambling scheme. Shortly after his arrest, Billups was placed on un-paid indefinite leave by the NBA. In his absence, Tiago Splitter was named the Trail Blazers’ interim head coach.
In the FBI affidavit, Billups was accused of knowingly taking part in rigged poker games with connections to the Mafia. Billups reportedly acted as a “face card” in the scheme — a celebrity meant to attract other players to the game and give it legitimacy. But the game was allegedly rigged, with those running it using X-ray tables and rigged card shufflers, among other devices, to cheat players out of their money.
Billups was not the only individual with NBA ties arrested as part of the FBI probe. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former Cleveland Cavaliers player and assistant Damon Jones were also arrested in a separate but related case that involved sports betting. Jones already pleaded not guilty to charges at his arraignment in early November. He was released on $200,000 bond following his arraignment.
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Billups’ bail was reportedly set at $5 million Monday. He put up his house as collateral and had his wife and daughter co-sign the bond, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.
Shortly after Billups’ arrest, his attorney announced Billups would fight the charges. Rozier’s attorney released a similar statement announcing his client would also fight the charges.
The NBA said it would cooperate with the FBI’s investigation and that it took those allegations with “the utmost seriousness.”
All 31 defendants are due back in court March 4, according to Shelburne.