Damon Jones is rumored to be pleading guilty in the NBA gambling scandal

Damon Jones, one of more than 30 people to be arrested in relation to various offenses that allegedly undermine the integrity of the NBA and implicated the arrestees in further criminal activities, may be changing his mind about a non-guilty plea, the Associated Press and other media outlets reported. Previously, Timothy McCormack became the first person sentenced in the case involving Jones and others.

Jones, who was arrested last year and charged with helping mobster-types reach high-profile athletes for rigged poker games, as well as leaking non-publicly available league information to sports bettors, may be pleading guilty after all at a change-of-plea hearing, which will now take place on May 6, 2026, in a Brooklyn federal court. He is accused of disclosing insider league information regarding the injury status of players such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis at a time when nobody outside the association and league had a way of knowing about these injuries, and thus is accused of helping sports gamblers gain an unfair advantage when placing their wagers. Jones is not the only person in trouble over the NBA gambling scandal, however, as Chauncey Billups, a former Portland Trail Blazers head coach and a Basketball Hall of Famer, was also brought in on related charges. Terry Rozier, the Miami Heat guard, was also implicated in the events and faces allegations of having profited from his insider knowledge. Prosecutors accuse Jones of selling or attempting to sell non-public information to sports bettors, specifically regarding LeBron James’ injury status back on February 9, 2023. The poker scheme investigated in parallel with prosecutors involved the recruitment of high-profile sports figures, who would end up playing at underground poker games in New York, tied to the established crime families, who would then ensure repayment of any outstanding debt by resorting to intimidation and violence.