NEW YORK -- Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones became the first person to plead guilty Tuesday in a gambling sweep that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including reputed mobsters and other basketball figures.
During back-to-back hearings in Brooklyn federal court, Jones entered guilty pleas to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in what prosecutors say were sports betting and rigged poker game schemes.
Reading a prepared statement to the court after pleading guilty in the sports betting case, he acknowledged that he conspired with others to defraud sports betting companies by using "insider information that I obtained as a result of my relationships as a former player."
"I would like to sincerely apologize to the court, my family, my peers and also the National Basketball Association," Jones said.
Damon Jones entered guilty pleas in back-to-back hearings Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court. AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura He said the goal of the sports betting conspiracy, which ran from December 2022 to March 2024, was to use his insider knowledge -- which prosecutors say involved nonpublic information about injuries to NBA stars -- to make money from sportsbooks.
He acknowledged that his actions violated the NBA's code of conduct and also the terms of service on sports betting websites.
A 'face card' for rigged poker games
During his second hearing, Jones admitted that he was paid to act as a "face card" at poker games in Miami and the Hamptons by using his NBA celebrity to "lure high-end bettors" to the table.
Reading from a statement, Jones said that based on conversations with his co-conspirators before and after the poker games, "I knew these games were rigged and that players were being cheated."