PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Federal authorities have charged several individuals — including a former Philadelphia resident — in two major illegal gambling cases that allegedly involved insider NBA betting and rigged poker games.
On Thursday, October 23, FBI Director Kash Patel announced indictments against multiple defendants accused of participating in separate, but related, gambling schemes involving wire fraud, money laundering, and sports corruption.
NBA Insider Betting Scheme
According to the FBI, six men are charged with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy after allegedly using non-public information from NBA players and coaches to profit from illegal sports wagers between December 2022 and March 2024.
Among the defendants are Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, former NBA player Damon Jones, and Shane Hennen, also known as “Sugar,” a 40-year-old Las Vegas resident who previously lived in Philadelphia and western Pennsylvania.
Federal investigators say Hennen and his co-conspirators obtained insider information from Rozier, Jones, and others, then shared that intelligence through a network of bettors. Those bettors allegedly placed wagers through online sportsbooks and in-person outlets while concealing that their bets were based on confidential, non-public information.
Key Incident During 2023 NBA Season
Court documents outline a critical incident on March 23, 2023, when Rozier — then playing for the Charlotte Hornets — allegedly told a friend he would exit an upcoming game early due to an injury. That tip reportedly spread through the betting network, leading to more than $200,000 in wagers placed on Rozier’s “under” statistics for the game.
Rozier exited the game after just nine minutes, allowing the bets to hit and generating tens of thousands of dollars in profits, investigators said.
Just days later, on March 28, 2023, the indictment alleges that two co-defendants traveled to Philadelphia to collect the proceeds from Hennen, who had handled part of the money distribution from the illegal betting scheme.
Rigged Poker Game Allegations
In a related but separate case, prosecutors also charged several individuals with conspiring to manipulate high-stakes poker tournaments in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Those defendants are accused of marking cards and coordinating betting patterns to cheat both casinos and private games.
The FBI says both schemes were part of a broader criminal network using illegal gambling to launder money and evade federal financial reporting laws.
Federal Response
“These cases strike at the integrity of professional sports and gaming,” said FBI Director Patel. “When insider information is exploited for profit, it undermines the fairness that fans and bettors expect.”
The Department of Justice has not yet announced court dates. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
