Damon Jones set to admit guilt for supplying bettors with confidential information.
Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones intends to enter a guilty plea regarding accusations that he supplied sports bettors with confidential information about injuries to prominent players LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as reported by ABC News on Thursday, referencing a court document.
A hearing for Jones’ change of plea has yet to be arranged. In November, he had entered a not guilty plea to the charges. Should he proceed with a guilty plea, he would be the first individual in this case to do so.
Jones faced charges alongside NBA player Terry Rozier and others after federal prosecutors alleged they assisted a group of bettors who placed wagers based on confidential information.
Rozier, who was released by the Miami Heat last week, has maintained his not guilty plea and requested that a judge dismiss his charges. A hearing for his case is set for later this month.
Jones, a veteran in the NBA, earned over $20 million while playing for 10 teams across 11 seasons from 1999 to 2009. He and James were teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008, and Jones acted as an unofficial assistant coach for James’ Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-23 season.
Prosecutors allege that Jones sold or attempted to sell confidential information to bettors indicating that James was injured and would not participate in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 9, 2023, texting an unnamed co-conspirator: “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out.”
At the time of the text, James was not listed on the Lakers’ injury report; however, he was later ruled out due to a lower-body injury, according to prosecutors, and the Lakers lost the game 115-106.
On January 15, 2024, prosecutors stated that sports bettor Marves Fairley paid Jones around $2,500 for a tip that Davis, the Lakers’ forward/center at that time, would have limited playing time against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to an injury.
Fairley placed a $100,000 bet on the Thunder to win, according to prosecutors, but the information proved incorrect. Davis played his regular minutes, scored 27 points, and grabbed 15 rebounds in a 112-105 victory for the Lakers, leading Fairley to request a refund of his $2,500 fee, prosecutors noted.
Jones is also facing allegations of profiting from manipulated poker games. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
