A report of professional NBA betting scandal -AP reporters

Professional basketball was stunned this week as a popular NBA Hall of Famer and head coach, a current player and a former player were arrested by federal authorities on illegal gambling charges.
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and Damon Jones were named in indictments unsealed Thursday in New York. They were among 31 people, including alleged mobsters, charged in the sprawling gambling scandal.
Billups, a 2004 NBA Finals MVP with the champion Detroit Pistons, was charged with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games tied to La Cosa Nostra organized crime families. Unsuspecting gamblers were cheated out of at least $7 million, according to authorities.
Rozier was accused in a separate scheme of exploiting private information about players to win bets on NBA games.
Both men face money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges. Jones, a former assistant coach and player, is accused of participating in both schemes.
About 20 other defendants appeared in court where most pleaded not guilty. Many of those charged with violent crimes or with lengthy criminal records and ties to organized crime were detained.