Overview
- Damon Jones, 49, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court to two wire‑fraud conspiracies, becoming the first defendant to flip in the twin cases and setting sentencing for Jan. 6, 2027.
- Jones admitted he sold nonpublic injury and availability details about Lakers players to bettors, including tips tied to LeBron James and Anthony Davis that let co-conspirators place wagers before updates were public.
- He also acknowledged serving as a paid “face card” to draw players to rigged high‑stakes poker games that prosecutors link to organized‑crime crews using altered shufflers, hidden cameras and X‑ray‑equipped tables.
- Under guideline deals, prosecutors will seek roughly 21–27 months for the sports‑betting count and 48–63 months for the poker case, with forfeiture required and final terms to be set at sentencing.
- Prosecutors say they plan additional charges against co‑defendant Terry Rozier as they build cases with texts, witness accounts and wire transfers, a push that heightens pressure on leagues and sportsbooks to spot insider abuse.