Former NBA players Malik Beasley and Ed Davis have been indicted in a federal sports-betting case that prosecutors say involved inside information, player prop bets and alleged manipulation of Beasley’s own NBA performance.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced Monday that Beasley, Davis, current NBA player agent Paolo Zamorano and three other defendants were charged with wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.
Federal prosecutors said the defendants allegedly used non-public information about Beasley’s planned performance to place fraudulent wagers worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The charges are allegations. Prosecutors said all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Prosecutors Say Beasley Was Paid Through Gambling Debt Relief
The indictment alleges that Beasley, then playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, agreed with Davis before certain 2024 games that he would underperform or overperform in specific statistical categories. Prosecutors said Davis then passed that non-public information to other alleged co-conspirators so they could place bets tied to Beasley’s player props.
Reuters reported that prosecutors accused Beasley of taking bribes through reduced or paid-off gambling debts he allegedly owed to Davis. Prosecutors said Beasley and Davis had been teammates on the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2020-21 season and maintained a close relationship.
Three Bucks Games Were Named in the Allegations
The Justice Department listed three Milwaukee Bucks games in the allegations: January 26, 2024 against the Cleveland Cavaliers; February 27, 2024 against the Charlotte Hornets; and March 10, 2024 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
In the January 26 example, prosecutors said Beasley allegedly told Davis he intended to underperform in rebounding. In the February 27 game, prosecutors said Beasley allegedly told Davis he intended to underperform in points and overperform in rebounds. In the March 10 game, prosecutors said Beasley allegedly told Davis he intended to overperform in rebounding.
Prosecutors said many of the wagers placed using that alleged information were successful. The indictment says the defendants and co-conspirators placed fraudulent wagers totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars across multiple betting operators.
Beasley’s Lawyer Says He Is Presumed Innocent
Beasley’s attorney, Steve Haney, told Reuters that Beasley maintains his presumption of innocence and asked the public to reserve judgment until all the facts are known. Reuters reported that lawyers for Davis did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Reuters reported that Davis and three other defendants were arrested Monday, while Beasley and Zamorano had not been arrested at the time of its report. The defendants are expected to be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn, though Reuters reported that no arraignment date had been set.
If convicted, the defendants face maximum sentences of 20 years in prison on the wire fraud conspiracy counts, 20 years on the money laundering conspiracy count and five years on the bribery in sporting contests count, according to federal prosecutors.
The Case Follows the NBA’s Jontay Porter Ban
The indictment comes two years after the NBA banned Jontay Porter for life over betting-rule violations. In April 2024, the NBA announced that Porter had disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, limited his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes and bet on NBA games.
NBA spokesman Michael Bass told Reuters that the league is cooperating with the Beasley investigation and takes the allegations seriously. “The integrity of our game remains our top priority,” he said.
The Beasley case now places another player-prop betting scandal directly in front of the league, sportsbooks and federal prosecutors. For now, the indictment lays out the government’s allegations, while Beasley, Davis and the other defendants await the next steps in federal court.