NBA betting scandal first prison sentence as ‘gambling addict’ gets two years
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The first prison sentence was imposed in connection with the sweeping NBA betting scandal that shook the sport in the fall.
Timothy McCormack was sentenced to two years in prison by a New York federal judge on Wednesday. per ESPN.
“I have struggled with gambling addiction for more than half my life,” McCormack said at sentencing.
McCormack was accused of defrauding sports betting platforms by using non-public information to place highly profitable bets tied to the performance of NBA players allegedly involved in the scheme.
“He has an addiction,” Federal Judge DeArcy Hall said. “I do not believe the behavior Mr. McCormack exhibited defines him.”
CLICK HERE TO GET MORE SPORTS NEWS ON FOXNEWS.COM
Christopher Raia, Deputy Director in Charge of the FBI’s NY Field Office, speaks as FBI Director Kash Patel listens during a press conference in New York City on October 23, 2025. (Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
McCormack was involved in the alleged scheme involving former NBA players Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones.
Documents released by the FBI allege the conspirators used a card shuffling machine that used secret technology to read the cards in the deck and predict which player at the table had the best hand, transmitting that information via interstate cables to an off-site operator.
This operator allegedly relayed this information to the lead conspirator at the poker table, who then used signals to relay the information to other conspirators at the table, the documents say.
FBI documents also allege that cheating players also use other technologies, including electronic chip trays that can secretly read cards placed on the table, card analyzers that can detect which cards are on the table, and invisible markings placed on cards that can only be seen with the help of specially designed contact lenses or glasses.
FINANCE PROFESSOR ASKS HOW NBA FIGURES HAVE ENGAGED IN ILLEGAL GAMBLING CONNECTIONS, DESPITE MILLIONS OF WEALTH
Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones were arrested for alleged illegal gambling. (Jaime Valdez/Imagn Images, Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Joseph Nocella Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, called it “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since the widespread legalization of online sports betting in the United States” and detailed the type of technology used at a press conference in October.
“They used secretly modified off-the-shelf shuffling machines to read the cards in the deck, predict which player at the table had the best poker hand, and transmit that information to an off-site operator,” Nocella said.
“The defendants used other cheating technologies such as poker chip tray analyzers, which is a poker chip tray that secretly reads cards using a hidden camera, special contact lenses or glasses that can read pre-marked cards, and an x-ray table that can read cards upside down on the table.”
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
FBI director Kash Patel speaks at a news conference announcing the arrests of Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier in connection with a federal investigation into sports betting and illegal gambling on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
Billups and Jones were allegedly used as celebrity figures to lure competitors into allegedly rigged poker games.
The Justice Department said in April 2019 that Billups was one of five defendants who “arranged and participated in rigged poker games using a rigged shuffling machine” in Las Vegas, where victims lost at least $50,000. One of the defendants texted another accomplice, saying Billups had to deliberately lose his hand to avoid suspicion of cheating.
Follow Fox News Digital Sports streaming on Xand subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
