Ex-NBA player Damon Jones first to plead guilty in pair of gambling cases

U.S. Former NBA player Damon Jones first to plead guilty in pair of federal gambling 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 April 28, 2026 / 1:29 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Former NBA player Damon Jones became the first person to plead guilty in a pair of federal indictments involving 34 defendants, including some with alleged links to the mafia and other NBA figures.Jones, 49, was among three people charged in both indictments, one of which focused on poker schemes in which wealthy victims were allegedly lured to play in rigged games against athletes. The other focuses on sports betting, accusing the former Cleveland Cavaliers guard of using inside information to place bets.Reading from a prepared statement Tuesday inside Brooklyn federal court in the first of two plea deals, Jones acknowledged he used "insider information" he obtained from the relationships he made during his time as a player, the Associated Press reported.He apologized to his family, colleagues and the National Basketball League as part of his statement.CBS News has reached out to his attorney for comment. Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones arrives at Brooklyn federal court, April 28, 2026, in New York. AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura In the sports betting case, federal prosecutors accused Jones of sending a tip about "a prominent NBA player, saying: 'Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight.'" He appears to be referring to LeBron James, a former teammate and longtime friend. James is not accused of any wrongdoing.Prosecutors have not indicated that pleas are expected for other defendants in the sports betti...