Federal prosecutors unsealed 31 indictments this week accusing a network of gamblers, organized-crime figures and ex-NBA personalities of using high-tech devices to rig underground poker games and steal at least $7.15 million from wealthy opponents.
The charging documents say the conspiracy began in April 2019, when Robert “Black Rob” Stroud and several partners modified automatic shuffling machines to read the order of cards and transmit that data to an off-site operator. The operator then fed the information to a “quarterback” seated at the table, who signaled accomplices on how to play each hand.
Technology and tactics
According to investigators, the group supplemented the altered shufflers with X-ray poker tables, hidden cameras and marked decks visible only through special contact lenses or glasses. Text messages show conspirators occasionally allowed victims—labeled “fish” or “whales”—to win hands to keep them at the table.
In one Miami game on Sept. 2024, defendant John Mazzola allegedly tapped his arm when he held the best hand and touched a $1,000 chip when another insider did. If the unsuspecting player led, he handled black chips to signal the team to fold.
Celebrity “face cards”
The indictment says Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and former NBA player and coach Damon Jones were invited to certain games to lure high-rollers. During an April 2019 session, text messages show defendant Sophia Wei suggesting that Billups intentionally lose a pot to another insider to avoid raising suspicion after two improbable wins.
Mafia involvement
Prosecutors link the plot to three La Cosa Nostra families. The Bonanno family sponsored a Manhattan game at 147 Lexington Ave., while the Gambino family—supported by at least one Genovese member—ran another at 80 Washington Place. By 2023, the two operations merged and adopted Stroud’s technology.
Court filings describe traditional mob tactics: a participant identified as “John Doe No. 7” was allegedly robbed of a modified Deckmate 1 shuffler worth more than $10,000, “John Doe No. 5” was threatened and assaulted over unpaid debts in Nov. 2022, and “John Doe No. 6” was extorted in fall 2023 for a $10,000 balance. Defendant Anthony Shnayderman is accused of laundering winnings through shell firms and cryptocurrency.
Losses and arrests
Victims collectively lost at least $7.15 million, including $1.8 million taken from “John Doe No. 1” during games in June and July 2023, the filings state.
Billups was arrested and appeared in federal court Thursday. He was released on a substantial bond, surrendered his passport and is scheduled to return on Nov. 24. His attorney, Chris Heywood, said they plan to contest the charges.
“Using the allure of high-stakes winnings and the promise to play alongside well-known professional athletes, these defendants allegedly defrauded unwitting victims out of tens of millions of dollars,” FBI assistant director Christopher Raia said. Homeland Security Investigations special agent Ricky Patel added that the case “reminds us of a Hollywood movie,” but emphasized “this was not luck, and it was not theatrics.”
Source: ESPN
