Ex-NBA Assistant Damon Jones Delivers First Guilty Plea in Sprawling Gambling Probes

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Former UH player, NBA assistant coach Damon Jones pleads guilty in massive gambling scheme

A Turning Point in Court (Image Credits: Pixabay)

Brooklyn – Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones became the first defendant to plead guilty Tuesday in federal cases stemming from a massive gambling investigation that ensnared more than 30 individuals last fall.[1][2] The 49-year-old Galveston native entered pleas to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud during back-to-back hearings in Brooklyn federal court. His admissions covered schemes that exploited insider NBA knowledge and rigged high-stakes poker games.

A Turning Point in Court

Jones stood before Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo and read from a prepared statement, acknowledging his role in defrauding sports betting companies. “I conspired with others to defraud sports betting companies by using ‘insider information that I obtained as a result of my relationships as a former player,’” he said.[1] He also expressed remorse, stating, “I would like to sincerely apologize to the court, my family, my peers and also the National Basketball Association.”

The pleas mark a significant development in probes that began with arrests in October 2025. Prosecutors charged Jones in both a sports betting conspiracy and a separate poker rigging operation. Sentencing is scheduled for January 6, 2027, with federal guidelines suggesting 21 to 27 months in prison. Jones agreed to forfeit $35,000 tied to the schemes.[1][3]

Exploiting NBA Insider Access

From December 2022 through March 2024, Jones…

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Author : Matthias Binder

Publish date : 2026-04-28 18:57:00

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