Politics/Race is a helluva drug too... Once you get sucked into that mess it's hard for them to get out! Kidz ... stay out of the D&D!! ....... ....... .......
How come this administration just pardoned and commuted the sentence of the founder of Binance and George Santos since they care so much about fraud? Can somebody make that make sense to me?
That is the problem when the justice system is used to attack people based on race and politics. At this point they aren’t even hiding it.
This says more about your browsing history than the forum, for me the ad is WWF begging for money to save pandas or some ****.
Of course it makes sense. The NBA is seen as a black and democratic leaning community. They spoke out about social issues during Trump 1.0, and Trump 2.0 is 110% about retribution, grabbing authoritarian power, and of course corruption. This is about retribution against the NBA, and a perceived blue community in America. That's why Kash Patel made a big show of these indictments with him at the forefront in his ridiculous FBI windbreaker least anyone forget he is with the FBI. You think this kind of stuff doesn't happen with the UFC, and Dana White and co. don't have their hands in the betting markets?? You think Kash Patel would be leading a press conference if there was a sting operation surrounding Jon Jones rigging his own match, and tipping people off??? Trump would fire, and threaten to prosecute the investigator who even thought about looking at the UFC. The NBA has a problem with gambling. Always has for decades. There should be authorities policing the NBA more than anything in order to have them police their own better so this isn't necessary. But for this administration to make this kind of show of these indictments is 100% about politics and Trump world's culture war beef with the NBA.
Best article I've seen... 'Mind-boggling' poker fraud used X-ray tables, high-tech glasses and NBA players Celebrities, professional sports stars and wealthy gamblers sat at a table hoping to win big in a game of Texas Hold 'Em. But they didn't know it was nearly impossible. They were "fishes" allegedly being targeted by the mafia in an elaborate poker gambling scheme that included X-ray card tables, secret cameras, analysers in chip trays and sunglasses and contact lenses that could read their hand. In what sounds like an Ocean's Eleven film plot, prosecutors say these "unwitting" victims were cheated out of at least $7m (£5.25m) in poker games - with one person losing at least $1.8m. The scheme, which US prosecutors described as "reminiscent of a Hollywood movie", was dismantled in a sprawling federal investigation that led to more than 30 arrests, including members of La Cosa Nostra crime families, Portland Trail Blazers basketball coach Chauncey Billups and former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Damon Jones. FBI director Kash Patel called it a "mind-boggling" fraud scheme that cheated victims in New York, Miami, Las Vegas and other US cities. Arrests in the scheme were announced on Thursday along with those in an alleged basketball betting plot, in which professional NBA players are accused of faking injuries to influence betting odds. The underground poker scheme started as early as 2019, prosecutors say, and was allegedly operated by the mafia - specifically by members of notorious crime families, including Bonnano, Gambino, Lucchese and Genovese. A cut of the profits, prosecutors say, helped fund their criminal enterprise. Former professional athletes, described by prosecutors as "face cards", were enlisted to help in the scheme and entice victims into playing. Lured in by the opportunity to play with a high-profile celebrity - such as Billups or Jones - a wealthy, "unwitting victim" would be recruited for illegal, underground poker games where tens of thousands of dollars were on the line, prosecutors allege. Unbeknownst to the lured-in players - referred to in the scheme as a "fish" - everyone surrounding them was in on the elaborate scam - from the players to the dealers, even the technology used to shuffle the deck and count the chips, according to a lengthy federal indictment. Sophisticated wireless technology was also used to deceive the players during the games, most commonly in Texas Hold 'Em. The technology was everywhere - an X-ray table that read any face-down card, analysers inside chip trays, a rigged shuffling machine that read cards and predicted who would have the best hand, and pre-marked cards that allowed those wearing special sunglasses and contact lenses to read what was in everyone's hands. Secretive cameras - built into tables and light fixtures - also helped convey information to those helping in the plot, authorities say. Then there was also a sophisticated method of communicating and rigging the game, prosecutors allege. Information from the game would be sent to an off-site conspirator - called an "operator" by prosecutors - who then would send information to another player sitting at the table who was in on the scheme - who prosecutors call a "quarterback" or "driver". That person would then secretly signal to others, prosecutors allege, effectively stealing money and making it impossible for victims to win. Texts from the US justice department's evidence suggest the "quarterback" would either touch the $1,000 poker chip, tap his chin, wrist or arm to signal which conspirator had the best hand. If the victim had the best hand, the "quarterback" would touch his black chips. The texts also appear to show that at times conspirators agreed to lose some hands in order to keep victims at the gambling table for longer. US Department of Justice Another series of texts suggests participants in the scheme avoided suspicion of cheating by swapping in players and losing money to co-conspirators. Authorities estimate that each game would leave a victim out of tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. Prosecutors say the defendants allegedly laundered the funds from the scheme through cryptocurrency, cash exchanges and shell companies. A cut of the profits went to those who helped in the plot, prosecutors say, and some allegedly went to fund the mafia's criminal enterprise. "This alleged scheme wreaked havoc across the nation, exploiting the notoriety of some and the wallets of others to finance the Italian crime families," said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher Raia. Billups, who was accused of being a face card in the fixed card games, was arrested in Portland and was placed on leave by the NBA. The Portland Trail Blazers said in a statement that they were aware of the allegations involving their head coach and were "fully co-operating with the investigation". Jones was arrested in relation to both the poker and NBA injuries scheme. He is charged with two counts each of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.
You’re right…..we should just continue to let Mafia connected Billups coach and let Rozier continue to play and throw games for the Mafia or whomever. HOW DARE THE FBI CLEANUP OUR SPORT…..just leave us alone so we can continue to enjoy players and refs (i.e., remember the GS series a few years back) fixing games. Get a clue people!!!
The National Debt went up a trillion, a trillion with T, in 70 days. Sure, poker fraud is the corruption priority.
Funny enough NBA owners are actually among Trump's biggest political donors. You have the Israeli billionaire Miriam Adelson who owns the Mavs and gave Trump by far the most money. You also have another Israeli billionaire Micky Arison who owns the Heat and is another big Trump donor. And of course our very own beloved ambassador Tilman.
Jesus christ. Did they commit a crime? "IRRELEVANT THAT'S IRRELEVANT!!! WHAT IS THEIR SKIN COLOR!?!?!??!?!?!?. THAT'S WHY THEY DID THIS" God it is a broken record.
I’ve seen that here before too. And if you mean I read and watch political analysis online? I indeed do that.
It was just a silly joke tbh, I wasn't intending it as like a serious accusation or anything. I genuinely could not give any less of a **** about US politics.
I must admit, it's ****ing cool all this hi-tech **** they used. Obviously **** them all for robbing people and being mafiosi scumbags and all that ****, but x-ray tables and special shufflers that predict outcomes and **** just to hustle people of out cash? That's genuinely got to be a plot of some low-rent CW/ScyFy show about secret agents or some ****.
