TLDR
- Former NBA players Malik Beasley and Edward Davis are among six people indicted in the Eastern District of New York.
- Prosecutors say Beasley agreed to underperform or overperform in certain stats to help others win bets.
- Davis allegedly acted as the “gatekeeper,” passing inside information from Beasley to other co-conspirators.
- The scheme ran from December 2023 through April 2024 and reportedly netted bettors thousands of dollars in some games.
- Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison on the most serious counts.
Federal prosecutors have indicted six people, including former NBA players Malik Beasley and Edward Davis, in a sports betting fraud case. The indictment was unsealed in the Eastern District of New York on Monday.
Prosecutors say the group conspired to manipulate Beasley’s performance in NBA games. The goal was to help bettors win wagers on prop bets tied to his statistics.
How the Scheme Allegedly Worked
According to charging documents, Davis was known as the “gatekeeper” to Beasley. He allegedly passed information about planned over or underperformance to the other co-conspirators.
The other men named in the indictment are William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia, and Paolo Zamorano. Zamorano has been a registered NBA player agent since 1995.
Prosecutors say Beasley agreed to underperform or overperform in specific categories like points and rebounds. In exchange, his gambling debts to Davis were allegedly reduced or paid off.
The indictment states Beasley had built up large gambling losses. Bribes were paid by adjusting what he owed Davis rather than through direct cash payments.
Three Games Named in the Indictment
Prosecutors detailed three games where the alleged manipulation took place. The first was January 26, 2024, when the Milwaukee Bucks played the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Beasley reportedly told Davis he planned to come in under his projected rebound total. He finished with three rebounds against a betting line of 3.5.
The second game was February 27, 2024, against the Charlotte Hornets. Beasley allegedly aimed to score fewer points than expected while grabbing more rebounds than projected.
He scored six points and had four rebounds. His prop lines were set at 12.5 points and four rebounds. Bettors reportedly profited more than $77,000 from that game.
The third game was March 10, 2024, against the Los Angeles Clippers. Beasley allegedly aimed to exceed his rebound total again.
He finished with four rebounds, just above the 3.5 line. Prosecutors included texts between co-conspirators reacting in real time as Beasley secured the rebound late in the game.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in wagers were placed across the scheme, according to prosecutors. Three sportsbooks were named as victims in the case.
Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison on wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges. They also face up to five years for bribery in sporting contests.
Beasley had previously been reported cleared in a related NBA gambling investigation back in August 2025. That probe led to the conviction of former player Jontay Porter.
Beasley was a free agent at the time of his indictment. He had been in talks for a contract worth more than $42 million before gambling allegations became public.
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said in a statement that the defendants “turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation.” Several defendants were arrested on Monday and will be arraigned at a later date.
