Federal prosecutors are examining more NBA games for potential manipulation in an expanding investigation into illegal sports gambling, according to lawyers for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
The inquiry initially focused on seven games named in an October indictment, but now includes additional contests that may have been influenced by individuals involved in an alleged insider betting ring, reports The Athletic. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter are among those charged in connection with the scheme.
Rozier, one of six men indicted, is accused of providing non-public information to a friend before a March 2023 game while he was with the Charlotte Hornets. Prosecutors allege that the information was subsequently passed to bettors who placed prop wagers on Rozier’s in-game statistics. All six defendants, including Rozier, have pleaded not guilty.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier
Porter was charged separately and pleaded guilty in July 2024 to removing himself early from two games during the 2023–24 season. He was previously banned from the NBA and is currently awaiting sentencing. Four others were arrested in connection with the plan to profit from bets on his performances, three of whom have entered guilty pleas.
One of the men, Timothy McCormack, was sentenced last week to two years in federal prison after admitting to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Prosecutors said McCormack placed bets on games involving both Rozier and Porter and may have participated in additional incidents under investigation.
“The government has ongoing investigations,” said David Berman, an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District, during McCormack’s sentencing. “And our understanding is the defendant has conducted himself in similar manners in other instances as well.”
Court filings in November revealed that McCormack wagered thousands of dollars on several NBA games, including the March 23, 2023, Hornets-Pelicans game, the January 26, 202,4 Clippers-Raptors game, and the March 20, 2024, Kings-Raptors game. The number of additional games under scrutiny has not been disclosed.
The NBA confirmed its cooperation with law enforcement and regulatory bodies. “We continue to assist the relevant authorities in their investigation as well as work with federal and state regulators on appropriate limitations on the types of bets placed on NBA games,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. “The integrity of our game remains our highest priority.”
Separately, former Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks guard Malik Beasley remains under federal investigation for possible illegal sports betting. Beasley, currently a free agent, has not played this season after missing out on a $42 million contract with the Pistons when teams became aware of the investigation.
Former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter
“To my understanding, he’s still under federal investigation, but there’s been no recent direction on what terms they’re looking at him,” Beasley’s attorney Steve Haney told The Athletic. “At this point, Malik is stuck in this investigative purgatory and unable to continue his career despite the fact that he’s been under investigation for over a year.”
In October, thirty-four people were charged due to a multi-year investigation that also exposed a fraudulent poker scheme allegedly run with mafia involvement in New York. Prosecutors said former athletes were used to lure victims, including former Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who was one of 31 people charged and has pleaded not guilty.
Some individuals charged in the NBA case were also linked to a separate college basketball point-shaving operation announced by federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania earlier this month. Marves Fairley and Shane Hennen have been indicted in both cases, and both pleaded not guilty.
Former LSU player Antonio Blakeney was also charged in the college basketball case, which prosecutors say involved 39 players across 17 schools and targeted 29 NCAA Division I games.
