Damon Jones is set to plead guilty Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court, marking a sharp turn in the federal gambling case that led to his arrest last October alongside Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups and more than 30 other people.
Jones is expected to plead guilty to at least one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, after previously pleading not guilty to charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Both charges carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison, and Jones remains free on bail as he heads into back-to-back plea change hearings.
The plea change is the latest development in a case that has pulled in former NBA players, poker games and sports betting allegations in the same sweep. Jones was one of three people charged in both schemes, according to prosecutors, who say he sold or tried to sell nonpublic injury information about LeBron James and Anthony Davis and was also used to lure unwitting players into rigged poker games.
Jones, a former NBA player and assistant coach, played from 1999 to 2009 for 10 teams over 11 seasons and earned more than $20 million. He and James were teammates in Cleveland from 2005 to 2008, and Jones later served as an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-2023 season.
In the gambling case, prosecutors say the poker games were rigged with altered shuffling machines, hidden cameras, special sunglasses and X-ray equipment built into the table. According to the indictment, Jones was paid $2,500 for a game in the Hamptons, and texted, “Y’all know I know what I’m doing!!”
The case has already widened beyond Jones. Prosecutors said on Monday they were seeking additional charges against Rozier, and none of the other defendants had shown a willingness to plead guilty, a sign that Jones’ move may leave him increasingly alone among the most visible figures in the prosecution. The question now is not whether the case has traction, but how much more it will spread before it reaches trial.