BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Former NBA player Damon Jones is expected to plead guilty in Brooklyn federal court to charges stemming from two illegal gambling schemes. The judge overseeing his case referred the new plea to Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo, and Jones has requested a change-of-plea hearing on charges that he provided sports bettors with nonpublic information about injuries to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Jones, 49, pleaded not guilty to the charges on November 6, 2025, including counts tied to an alleged poker cheating scheme in which wealthy victims were lured to play in rigged games against athletes. He faces two separate federal indictments, one related to sports betting and one related to rigged poker schemes, and is charged with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy in both. He is currently free on bail.

A total of 34 people were charged across the two federal indictments, and Jones was one of three people charged in both. He was arrested in October 2025 along with Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier on gambling-related charges. Several alleged members of the mafia are charged in the rigged poker schemes. The indictment alleges that Jones served as a "face card," a notable person used to entice people to participate in the rigged poker games.

The sports betting indictment alleges that Jones gave bettors a tip about a prominent NBA player who appears to be LeBron James, who is not accused of any wrongdoing. On February 9, 2023, Jones sent a text to a co-conspirator saying, "Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight." James missed the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Milwaukee Bucks that night due to ankle soreness.

On January 15, 2024, sports bettor Marves Fairley paid Jones about $2,500 for a tip that Anthony Davis would see limited playing time against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of injury. Fairley placed a $100,000 bet on the Thunder based on that tip. Davis played his usual minutes, scored 27 points and had 15 rebounds in the Lakers' 112-105 win. After the tip proved incorrect, Fairley demanded a refund of his $2,500 fee.

Jones, a native of Galveston, Texas, earned over $20 million playing in the NBA for 10 teams over 11 seasons from 1999 to 2009. He was a teammate of James on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008 and served as an unofficial assistant coach for the Lakers during the 2022-2023 season. Rozier has also been charged for helping a network of bettors make wagers based on nonpublic information.