Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones pleaded guilty in a Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday, April 28, admitting he took part in a widespread illegal gambling probe in which inside information was shared about players’ injuries, and also that he took part in rigged poker games.
Jones pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire during the first of his plea of change hearings. According to sentencing guidelines, Jones is expected to receive a sentence of 21 to 27 months.
The 49-year-old Jones, who played 11 seasons in the NBA, earning nearly $22 million in salary, remained free on bail after his arrest in October, and is the first of the 30 people to enter a plea in the case. He originally pleaded not guilty on Nov. 6 to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering, which carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison.
“I would like to sincerely apologize to the court, my family, my peers and also the National Basketball Association,” Jones said in a prepared statement during his court appearance.
According to prosecutors, Jones gave NBA lineup decisions and pre-released medical information to his co-conspirators, who then placed significant wagers based on the tips. The medical information allegedly involved LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who were playing for the Los Angeles Lakers at the time.
Before a Lakers game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 9, 2023, authorities say Jones texted a co-conspirator, alerting them to bet on the Bucks before the injury statuses of both teams were released. James ended up not playing in the game because of a lower-body injury, and Los Angeles went on to lose the game 115-105.
Jones and James were teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008, and he was an assistant with the team from 2016 to 2018.
Jones was also accused of using his notoriety to get people to poker games rigged by organized crime figures in order to steal money from them, sometimes using technology, including poker chip trays with hidden cameras, and rigged shuffling machines with the ability to read the cards in the deck.
During one game, prosecutors said, Jones was paid $2,500 for his participation in a game in Hamptons, a swanky New York resort on Long Island.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Damon Jones, ex-NBA player, pleads guilty in federal gambling probe