Damon Jones Admits He Sold LeBron Injury Information to Gamblers
Jones also pleaded guilty Tuesday in the rigged poker case.
BROOKLYN — Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to two counts of wire fraud, one in each of the federal cases that rocked the league in October. One case alleges an illegal NBA gambling scheme; the other describes a complex plot to rig poker games. Jones is the first defendant to plead guilty among the 34 defendants listed between the two cases.
He admitted Tuesday that he tipped off gamblers using “inside information I obtained as a result of my relationships from my playing career in the NBA. ” Though LeBron James was not named in the government’s indictment, prosecutors accused Jones of giving gamblers information about an injury to a player who was clearly James. Jones previously pleaded not guilty to both wire fraud and money laundering, but only pleaded guilty to the wire fraud charges Tuesday.
He is scheduled to be sentenced in both cases on Jan. 6, 2027. Jones will also have to pay forfeiture and restitution, the latter of which will be determined at sentencing.
In the poker case, Jones admitted he was “a face card in pre-rigged games” and used his status as a former NBA player to “attract high-end bettors to games. ” Jones said he was compensated for participating in the games. The 49-year-old was arrested in October and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.