Former NBA star and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups is scheduled to go to trial on November 2 in federal court in New York on charges tied to an alleged high-stakes poker cheating operation with connections to organized crime.
Billups was one of 31 defendants charged in October 2025 in what federal prosecutors described as a sophisticated scheme to rig illegal poker games across multiple locations in the United States. He has pleaded not guilty and continues to deny the allegations.
Prosecutors allege that the operation used advanced technology to give certain players an unfair advantage, including altered card-shuffling machines, hidden cameras, an X-ray table and specially designed eyewear capable of reading marked cards. According to the Department of Justice, victims were cheated out of at least $7 million.
Billups is accused of serving as one of the operation’s so-called “Face Cards,” high-profile former professional athletes allegedly used to attract wealthy players into games they did not know were rigged. The indictment also names members and associates of the Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese crime families, which prosecutors say backed some of the illegal games and received portions of the proceeds.
The case has already moved significantly before trial. Fifteen of the 31 defendants have pleaded guilty, according to a recent report on the prosecution. Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones is among those who have entered guilty pleas. Billups, however, has not changed his plea.
Federal prosecutors are expected to present a substantial amount of evidence, including approximately 259 hours of secret recordings. A request from the government to move the trial into January 2027 was rejected, leaving the November 2 date in place.
Billups has not coached since the night before his arrest in October 2025. Before the case, he was best known for a distinguished playing career highlighted by the 2004 NBA championship and Finals MVP award with the Detroit Pistons, followed by his transition into coaching.
