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NEW YORK — Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones has become the first person to plead guilty in a gambling sweep that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including reputed mobsters and other basketball figures.
Jones entered a guilty plea to a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud during the first of back-to-back plea-change hearings on Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court. Sentencing guidelines call for a punishment of 21-27 months in prison.
Reading a prepared statement to the court, he acknowledged that he conspired with others to defraud sports betting companies by using "insider information that I obtained as a result of my relationships as a former player."
"I would like to sincerely apologize to the court, my family, my peers and also the National Basketball Association," Jones said.
He acknowledged that his actions violated the NBA's code of conduct and also the terms of service on sports betting websites.
The 49-year-old is charged in separate cases with profiting from rigged poker games and providing sports bettors with nonpublic information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, according to court filings.
Jones previously pleaded not guilty in both cases to charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. Both charges carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison.
