Damon Jones expected to plead guilty in pair of alleged gambling cases

U.S. Former NBA player Damon Jones expected to plead guilty in pair of alleged gambling scheme cases By Cara Tabachnick Cara Tabachnick News Editor Cara Tabachnick is a news editor at CBSNews.com. Cara began her career on the crime beat at Newsday. She has written for Marie Claire, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She reports on justice and human rights issues. Contact her at cara.tabachnick@cbsinteractive.com Read Full Bio Cara Tabachnick Updated on: April 16, 2026 / 12:58 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Former NBA player and coach Damon Jones is expected to plead guilty in two cases alleging his involvement in illegal gambling rings, according to a court order entered Thursday.Jones initially pleaded not guilty on Nov. 6. The new plea was referred from the judge overseeing the case in Brooklyn federal court to Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo.Jones was charged last year in connection with a pair of schemes allegedly involving dozens of alleged mafia figures and athletes. In total, 34 people were charged across two federal indictments, and Jones was among three people charged in both.Jones is accused of sharing or attempting to share inside information with bettors. The sports betting indictment alleges the former Cleveland Cavaliers guard gave others a tip about "a prominent NBA player," who appears to be LeBron James, a former teammate and longtime friend. James is not accused of any wrongdoing.Jones allegedly sent a text message to a co-conspirator on Feb. 9, 2023, saying: "Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight." James missed the Lakers' game that night against the Milwaukee Bucks due to ankle soreness. He was also separately accused of participating in an elaborate poker cheating scheme in which wealthy victims were allegedly lured to play in rigged games against athletes. The indictment, which names dozens of defendants, including NBA Hall...