NEW: Longtime NBA Players Charged In Illegal Sports Gambling Case

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York unsealed an indictment charging former NBA players Malik Beasley and Edward “Ed” Davis, along with four other individuals, in connection with an alleged scheme to bribe Beasley to manipulate his on-court performance in NBA games during the 2023-24 season. That information was then used for illegal sports gambling purposes, prosecutors allege.

The indictment alleges that Beasley, then playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, agreed in advance with Davis—his former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate and described in court documents as his “gatekeeper”—to underperform or overperform in specific statistical categories, such as points or rebounds, in targeted games.

Davis allegedly relayed this information to co-conspirators, who placed wagers on player prop bets with various betting operators. In exchange, Beasley received bribes, primarily in the form of reductions or payments toward gambling debts he owed to Davis.

Beasley had reportedly accumulated millions of dollars in gambling-related debts prior to the scheme.

Prosecutors identified at least four games during the 2023-24 season in which Beasley allegedly provided advance notice of his intended performance:

• • January 26, 2024: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (intent to underperform on rebounds)
  • February 27, 2024: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Charlotte Hornets (intent regarding points and rebounds)
  • March 10, 2024: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Clippers (intent to overperform on rebounds)
  • March 21, 2024: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets (planned manipulation did not occur as agreed)

The indictment states that fraudulent wagers on these and related bets totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars, with reported net winnings in some instances reaching at least $121,000. The scheme relied on the dissemination of inside information through a network that included William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia, and current NBA player agent Paolo Zamorano.

The six defendants face charges of wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy counts, and five years on the bribery in sporting contests count.

Several defendants, including Davis, Gorodetsky, Plascencia, and Brown, were arrested on Monday, June 29, while Beasley and Zamorano were expected to voluntarily surrender to authorities. No pleas have been entered.

Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, stated that an indictment represents only a charge of probable cause and maintained Beasley’s innocence.

This indictment represents the second high-profile federal gambling case involving NBA personnel to emerge in less than a year. In October 2025, federal authorities arrested more than 30 individuals, including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, as part of two related investigations by the Eastern District of New York.

One investigation focused on illegal sports betting schemes that allegedly exploited non-public NBA information, including player injuries, availability, and performance details, to place bets on games and prop bets. Allegations included instances in which players, including Rozier in at least one documented game, intentionally limited their participation or feigned issues to influence betting outcomes on their statistics

A separate but connected probe targeted a scheme involving rigged high-stakes poker games backed by multiple La Cosa Nostra organized crime families. These games allegedly used technology such as marked cards, hidden cameras, and rigged shuffling devices to defraud participants of millions of dollars over several years.

Billups was charged in connection with the poker scheme, while Rozier faced charges tied to the sports betting aspects. Both Rozier and Billups, along with former NBA player and coach Damon Jones, were among those indicted on charges including wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.

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