The Josh Innes Show - FBI Presser Watch Along Part 2

Episode Date: October 23, 2025

The press conference continues. It starts to get a little dull. But, the story continues to be totally enthralling. Do we believe that Chauncey didn't get involved in sports betting? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, okay, we're back to more of this press conference. The sounds of it, it sounds more and more like the mafia is obviously the bigger factor in this. They're trying to find a way to get the mob, and this is the way to do it. When it comes to Italian organized crime in this city, specifically the LCN and the five families here in New York, we are not going to permit any criminal enterprise, whether it be Italian organized crime, Asian organized crime. You take that Asian, you can't do it either. Italians, Asians, basketball players were coming for you. To operate in our city or our country, as evidenced by the 11 states that were also participating in this operation today. The FBI office here in New York remains committed to eradicating all unlawful revenue streams, fueling this criminal activity.

Come on. Guys, I need some details here. I need more Chauncey details. I need more NBA details. I need more NBA details. I need go which direction this is going. This is crazy, though, too, because, again, it's legal to bet on sports now, and we're seeing more and more stories like this where you're obviously going to get caught, but once you get yourself buried with the mob, like, think about this, is Terry Rozier in with the mob? Like, whoa, wowsers. This whole thing is banana.

I know I just keep saying how this is bonkers, this is bonkers. It is bonkers. This whole thing we're dealing with. Like, this story is crazy, man. Supervisory Special Agent Luke Hardison and the Italian Organized Task Force, which was led by Supervisory Special Agent Mike Malahey. And coincidentally, Supervisor. Okay, again, I don't care about the people involved in the thing. Here's what I need from you.

I need details. I need the media. Ask some questions when they get the opportunity to. I need to know if Chauncey Billups ever threw any games. I need to know. Like, this one hurts. This one hurts a little bit, man, because Chauncey's my guy. You guys know how I feel about Chauncy.

That's one of my favorite players in the history of basketball. One of my favorite teams in the history of basketball is the 2003, 2004, 2005, go-to-work pistons. Those are like my favorite squads. And this is what we're getting here now. And this is no good, no good. First up, the God. Number one is out of the University of Colorado in the home, red, blue, and white tonight. The street.

So, oops. Hold on. Wrong button. Hold on. Now we'll go. Now we'll go. now play the sound first up to God

number one is out of the university of Colorado in the home red blue and white tonight the six three chokesy you know I wonder if that's what they'll do when he comes into court today they'll just be like hey let's get his starting

lineup stuff going my name's Rickettel I'm the special agent in charge for Homeland Security investigations here in New York this morning hundreds of special We know the FBI the New York We know you keep bringing up these people to tell the same story. You keep telling the same damn story over and over.

I don't need to keep hearing the same story. Incivility. In the early hours of today, across nine states coast to coast, dozens of defendants were arrested and will face the consequences of their alleged crimes. This was their wake-up poll. With the alleged involvement of three La Cosa Nostra crime families, one NBA head coach, a Hall of Famer, no less, and former NBA players, the years of investigative work that culminated with this morning's operation.

That's also wild to think that these people for years have been watching everything you're doing and now they're like, bam, now we're on you. And this wasn't theatrics. This was an evidence-driven, relentless, and unified effort among law enforcement. Through what we have dubbed Operation Royal Flush, HSI New York, along with our task force personnel from the Waterfront Commission, first uncovered this scheme more than four years ago. Agents and investigators dedicated countless hours and sleepless nights in identifying the criminal network, dissecting communications and patterns, and following the money with precision. We built a case, piece by piece,

and what we discovered was a sprawling criminal enterprise that utilized cutting-edge technology and various methods of deception to dupe unsuspecting gamblers into paying up so that these defendants could cash out. As alleged, this sophisticated conspiracy cheated victims out of at least $7 million. Okay, again, we talk about how victims are being cheated, but tell me about the, you know, about like, again,

these other people that got cheated were playing in an illegal poker game anyway, right? Like. From the inside out. When criminal organizations attempt to launder profits through our country, HSI connects the dots and shuts it down. To anyone who thinks intimidation, fraud, or violence will shield their profits. Understand this. If you are exploiting our communities, expect HSI.

Again, I'm not trying to be an asshole here, but who exactly is being exploited in here when you've got people engaged in illegal gambling? Like, yes, you got cheated. But like, still, and look, you got cheated, it sucks. But I'm fairly certain that it is illegal to have, you know, poker games anyway. They're an illegal sports betting, and they schemed you, but still, like, I don't know. The sports betting thing is far more interesting than the dweeb's getting swindled. But it is wild to me that it's Chauncey Billups who's part of the swindling and wearing, like, wacky, CEO, like the 3D glasses and shit.

This is crazy. Good morning. Thank you to Director Patel, Assistant Director Rea and U.S. Attorney Nasella. What we're announcing today is not just enough. take down. It's the result. Again, more of the same shit. It's like they want to let everybody have their shine. Like, all right, everybody get up here and told them that we got these sons of bitches. Two cases that exposed criminal networks led by 34 individuals. Hadn't heard. Rules did not apply to them. Hadn't heard. They hid behind layers of complexity, behind money.

Hadn't heard. Believing those things would shield them from accountability. Hadn't heard. In case, Operation Nothing But Bet, exposed a gambling ring built around professional basketball. Hatt and Hurd. Players and associates allegedly used inside information to manipulate prop bets on major sports betting platform. Hatten heard. They placed wagers on unders, on players to score less. Hadn't heard.

How did it go away? Rebound less, assist less, using information that was not. yet public. In some instances, players altered their performance or took themselves out of games to make sure that those bets paid out. Hadn't heard. An example occurred on March 23rd, 23rd. Oh, here we go. In Charlotte, Terry Rozier, an NBA player now with the Miami Heat, but at the time playing for the Hornets allegedly led others close to him know that he planned to leave the game early with a supposed injury. Using that information, members of the group placed more than $200,000 in wages on his

under statistics. Oh, that's fun. Rozier exited the game after just nine minutes, and those bets paid out generating tens of thousands of dollars in profit. The proceeds were later delivered to his home where the group counted their cash. As the NBA season tips off, his career is already benched, not for injury, but for integrity. As a result of this investigation, six defendants, including Rozier, are now facing conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. In a second case, Operation Zen diagram, investigators uncovered a long-running scheme in which members and associates of several well-known organized crime families rigged high-stakes poker games. Okay, this is where we can get some Chauncey Billups action here. So we got the Rozier stuff.

Multiple soldiers from the banana, Gambino, Lucchese, and Genevese crime families, bringing four of the five families together in a single indictment. Hey, unity. It's extraordinarily rare. It reflects how deep and how far this investigation reached and the skill and the persistence it took to get here. That work uncovered a deliberate, technologically sophisticated operation designed to carry out their crimes. They used custom shuffling machines. I mean, okay, you've told us this already. You've told us all this. Just give us more details.

You're repeating yourselves over and over. Well-known public figures, former and current NBA players. I bet they called them the face. Including Chauncey Billups, the head coach of the Portland Trailblazers, an NBA champion and a Hall of Famer to make the games appear legitimate. Victims believe that they were sitting at a fair table. Instead, they were cheated out of millions. One victim in particular lost 1.8.

Again, you chose that. That's the world you chose for that. $7 million and continue to climb. And when people refused to pay, these defendants did what organized crime has always done. They use threats. They used intimidation. Again, that's not right. But like, you engage in a poker game and you got cheated.

That's the risk you're going to take when you engage in an illicit poker game. Now, if it were at a casino, it would be a different story, in my opinion. of their operations. Now, with the unsealing of today's indictment, 34 individuals are facing charges, including robbery, extortion, money laundering, wire. I choose to believe Chauncey Billups

like put a gun to somebody's face. In my mind, that's what happened. Probably not, but in my mind it is. ...organize crime task force and their dedication to these cases, especially Captain Rubin Pagan, Sergeant Chris McGuire, Detective Alexander Creamer,

Detective James McCorm. and of course our chief of detectives, chief Kenny. As part of these investigations, our members recovered and reviewed thousands of hours of video conducted extensive surveillance on illegal gambling locations across the city

and executed more than two dozen search warrants on electronic records that revealed. Again, we know. We know. Boy, so, I mean, how deep does this thing go? Does it go deeper? And how do you watch a sporting event and not think that it could be rigged?

Now, not necessarily rigged by the leagues themselves, but how do you watch a sporting event now? How do you watch a game and not have a guy plays a terrible game? How in the back of your mind do you not watch that game and ask yourself, is he throwing this game? Is he involved with the mob? Now, maybe the thoughts change because guys are starting to get arrested and the mobs being brought down, all this stuff. But how do you not watch that? How do you not watch a game and think, okay, what are we doing? How do you still bet on games?

I mean, I will because I'm a degenerate. But how do you still bet on these things, knowing what you know from hearing this, press conference it's crazy see if we get any questions here i need questions people ask more the details on chauncey i'm not at liberty to discuss either the background of the investigation itself uh or the investigation as it continues so i'm afraid i can't really explain to you other than the fact that both cases have been unsealed today and there was an overlap that has been discussed can you like ask like tell me what chonson he's up to.

Choncy, ask about Chonsie. With respect to any allegations or defenses that have been made by any of the defendants, they will have their opportunity to present them in court. We're not here to air those at this. But you can at least tell us what the charges are. I asked, was Chonsie Billups involved in sports betting based on your investigation? Did he throw games? Was he involved in rigging games? Because it's hard to believe that he wouldn't be. At this point, knowing what we know and what we're hearing about, now,

it's hard to believe. As I said, I can't discuss ongoing investigations. The investigation is ongoing, which by definition means that there will be further evidence uncovered at a minimum. And there's always that possibility. But I can't comment any further with respect to that. Yes. All right. So let's move on from this and get into a breakdown of it. So there was most of that press conference right there. More to come.