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After initially maintaining his innocence, NBA champion Damon Jones has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after giving insider information before it was made public to benefit gamblers.
Jones became the first NBA figure in the scandal to plead guilty — he was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
Reading a prepared statement to the court, 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.”
Jones told someone close to him that a “prominent” player on the Los Angeles Lakers, widely speculated to be LeBron James, would not play Feb. 9, 2023, before the information was public. Jones was an assistant for the team at the time.
James did not play in the game due to an ankle injury. The game was played two days after James scored 38 points to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
Jones also allegedly gave apparent inside information about another “one of the Lakers’ best players” 11 months later, speculated to be Anthony Davis, regarding an injury that was likely to affect his performance. That ultimately backfired because the player “performed well,” and the Lakers won, according to authorities.
“I would like to sincerely apologize to the court, my family, my peers and also the National Basketball Association,” Jones said.
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He said the goal of the 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.
Jones is due to be sentenced Jan. 6, 2027, before Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall. The sentencing guidelines for conspiracy to commit wire fraud call for a punishment of 21-27 months in prison. Jones also agreed to forfeit $35,000. Under the conditions of his bail, he can’t gamble or be involved with organized crime figures and he must get court approval for bank transfers of more than $10,000 unless it’s for legal fees. Jones initially pleaded not guilty in November and even used his parents’ home as bond collateral.
Jones is also alleged to have taken part in, and benefited from, rigged poker games, being used as a “face card,” along with Chauncey Billups, to lure victims into playing with celebrities. He was one of three people charged in both the NBA gambling and poker cases. He pled guilty to charges in that case on Tuesday, as well.
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On Monday, prosecutors said they were willing to seek additional charges against current NBA player Terry Rozier, who is accused of taking himself out of a game so bettors could cash out on his “under” props.
Prosecutors said they sought to file superseding charges of bribery in sports and honest services wire fraud during a hearing. Prosecutors said they had evidence that the former Miami Heat guard solicited and received a bribe amid the alleged gambling scheme.
Rozier filed a motion to dismiss charges against him as his attorneys argued the wire fraud charge is based on a theory that the Supreme Court rejected two years ago and that the government failed to prove the money laundering conspiracy claims.
Despite being undrafted out of Houston in 1997, Jones played 11 seasons in the NBA. The definition of a journeyman, Jones played for 10 teams and made more than $20 million in his career.
Throughout his career, he was teammates with prominent stars, including James, during his three-year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008. He also spent a season with Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal with the Miami Heat.
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He became a coach after his playing career, winning a title with James and the Cavs in 2016 as an assistant. Jones joined the Lakers, James’ current team, as an unofficial, unpaid member of the coaching staff for the 2022-23 season.
Over 30 people were arrested as a result of both scandals.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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