Former NBA player Damon Jones requests change-of-plea hearing in gambling case
Former Cleveland Cavaliers player and coach Damon Jones has requested a change-of-plea hearing for charges alleging he provided inside information about NBA games used to place illegal sports bets, according to a notation on the court docket.
The change-of-plea hearing has been scheduled for April 28. Federal prosecutors must file a document explaining what charges Jones will plead to by the end of next week. He is the first defendant in the case to signal he'll plead guilty.
When reached for comment, Jones' lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, said, "He is not cooperating."
Federal prosecutors had no comment.
Jones was charged with Terry Rozier and others after federal prosecutors in Brooklyn accused them of helping a network of sports bettors who wagered based on nonpublic information.
Jones previously pleaded not guilty to criminal conspiracy charges.
Rozier also pleaded not guilty and has asked the judge to dismiss the charges. Oral argument is scheduled later this month.
Jones is accused of using an ad-hoc affiliation with the Los Angeles Lakers to obtain nonpublic medical information about certain players that prosecutors said he sold to co-defendants so they could make bets.
On Feb. 9, 2023, when the Lakers played the Bucks, Jones allegedly sent a text message to a co-conspirator saying, "Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can eat." The prominent player in question did not play and the Lakers went on to lose.
The player was not named but is believed to be LeBron James.
Jones is charged in a separate case accusing him and others of helping to lure high rollers to rigged poker games. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges contained in that indictment.
