Eric Earnest, a key co-conspirator in the inside-information NBA gambling case involving Terry Rozier, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Thursday in Brooklyn, N.Y. — but told the court he never received inside information from former NBA star and coach Chauncey Billups, ESPN reports.
What the Eric Earnest Guilty Plea Means for the NBA Gambling Case
Earnest’s plea is the latest development in the sprawling federal case that has rocked the league, in which prosecutors allege nonpublic NBA information was used to fuel gambling schemes. Earnest is closely tied to the Rozier-centered scheme, one of several overlapping cases that also involve point-shaving and game-fixing allegations across the NBA, NCAA and even the Chinese Basketball Association.
Billups — the Hall of Famer and former Portland Trail Blazers coach — has been indicted in a separate but related case involving allegedly rigged poker games. Earnest’s on-the-record denial that Billups supplied him with information is a significant moment for that strand of the prosecution, though the cases remain ongoing.
How the Scandal Keeps Growing
The same investigative web has already produced major fallout: ex-NBA player Damon Jones became the first defendant to cooperate after pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy earlier in 2026, and Las Vegas bettor Shane Hennen pleaded guilty this month to game-fixing, point-shaving and money laundering charges across three federal cases, with sentencing set for early 2027.
As always with this case, the guilty plea is what Earnest himself has admitted — the wider allegations remain allegations until proven in court.
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Source: ESPN — read the full story there.
