The United States government continues its crackdown on various illegal gambling activities and has gone after yet another NBA-related scheme. This time, it involves Malik Beasley and Edward Davis, both former NBA players, with one of the suspects, Erny Plascencia, being known for having close ties with All-Star Jimmy Butler.
Beasley used to play for the Detroit Pistons, while Davis was with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both have been arrested and charged with sports bribery, illegal betting and money laundering conspiracies, along with co-conspirators William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, Ernesto “Erny” Plascencia and current NBA player agent Paolo Zamorano.
They allegedly conspired to run an illegal betting operation, leading to Beasley manipulating “his performance in NBA games,” as well as using insider information to profit in their illegal gambling activities, according to a Department of Justice press release.
The illegal gambling ring calls into question the integrity of the games in which Malik Beasley and Edward Davis played, as well as several instances involving Jimmy Butler, who is considered to be “best friends” with suspect Erny Plascencia, with the two often seen hanging out together. Plascencia allegedly served as the middleman in some of these deals, with fans suspecting he may have leaked some information regarding Butler.
US Attorney Investigating Malik Beasley Gambling Case Releases Statement
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella Jr., one of the people handling the case, released a statement regarding the matter:
“As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, bribing then-NBA player Malik Beasley to fix his performance in multiple games in order to place fraudulent wagers, enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” he said. “Bribery and insider betting schemes like this one involving former NBA players and a current NBA player agent who exploited inside NBA information for profit erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public. Our Office will continue in its strong tradition of holding accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt sports through illegal means.”
The prosecutor noted that the group “unlawfully earn hundreds of thousands of dollars,” adding that “as alleged,” Malik Beasley allowed himself “to be bought and altered his gametime performance to line pockets of Ed Davis and his other co-conspirators.”
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