Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you.
Posted on 10/28/2025 5:57:35 PM PDT by Libloather
The alleged connection between the Mafia and two former NBA players -- Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and longtime veteran Damon Jones -- began the way such things often do: through a little-known intermediary. That's one of the ways organized crime finds its way into locker rooms and athletes' inner circles -- by degrees, through introductions that seem harmless enough.
What starts as a friendly poker night or an invitation from a trusted acquaintance can, before long, become something else entirely -- a sticky web of influence and, soon enough, obligation, former prosecutors and those who study the Mob say.
In this case, prosecutors allege, the intermediary was Robert L. Stroud, a 67-year-old Louisville man with a criminal history. In 1994, Stroud killed a man during an evening playing cards and gambling at a home in Louisville, according to local outlet WAVE News. The outlet also reported that when Stroud was pulled over in 2001 for having expired tags, a police officer found "sports betting cards, dice, playing cards and what appeared to be gambling records" in the back seat.
Stroud recruited Billups and Jones to take part in rigged poker games run by members of New York City's most prominent crime families, according to an indictment and accompanying court documents made public last week.
"Stroud recruited former professional athletes, including defendants Billups and Damon Jones, into the conspiracy to lure wealthy victims into playing in the games," according to a detention memo filed with the case. "For their role as 'Face Cards' and members of the cheating teams, Stroud paid them a portion of the criminal proceeds."
Stroud, Billups and Jones were among 34 people, including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, arrested last week in connection with two overlapping investigations.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.com ...
|
|
Click here: to donate by Credit Card Or here: to donate by PayPal Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794 Thank you very much and God bless you. |
Saw former gymnast Olivia Dunne on tee vee in an evening dress on a football sled being pushed by four large black football mens.
She was selling on-line gambling. You go grrrl!
Poor Americans need another pernicious vice..
It seemed to me like this story dropped out of the MSM pretty quickly; I guess they couldn’t find an angle to blame it on POTUS or show he was involved or profited somehow.
Kind of like how Ohtani’s gambling “problem” was blamed on his interpreter, who suddenly decided that he needed to see his wife and kids back in Japan.
Can’t tell me that Shoeless Joe Jackson and Pete Rose were the only ones that enjoyed betting a fiver per hole in golf.
Surprise, surprise, surprise! Or maybe not. Anyone actually surprised that the Mafia has a significant influence upon sports is hopelessly naive - there’s HUGE money in not merely betting on games, but the players and their friends and acquaintances have a lot of it, too.
Gamblers fixing professional sports predates the mafia, and probably goes back to chariot races in ancient Rome if not earlier.
People can place bets on their phones anytime during a game...ever wonder why those winning field goals go donk.
I am glad this gambling is not happening in football and soccer and tennis and baseball....
It sure explains Michael Jordan’s sudden “retirement” and baseball career.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.