Ex-NBA Players Beasley, Davis Indicted in Gambling Case
Former NBA players Malik Beasley and Ed Davis were indicted Monday on federal charges that they fixed Beasley's on-court performance so co-conspirators could win prop bets, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said.
The indictment, unsealed June 29, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, names six defendants. Beasley, Davis and four others were charged with wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, according to prosecutors. The charges are allegations, and as with any criminal charges, an indictment is not a conviction.
Prosecutors allege that Beasley, while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2023-24 season, agreed with Davis to manipulate his statistics in several games. In return, Beasley accepted bribes that were typically used to reduce or pay off gambling debts he owed Davis, the indictment says. Davis had extended Beasley several loans after the guard racked up millions of dollars in gambling debt.
The indictment describes Davis as Beasley's "gatekeeper" in the betting ring. Also charged were NBA player agent Paolo Zamorano, who was Davis' agent, along with William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky and Ernesto Plascencia, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The alleged scheme
Prosecutors say the defendants placed fraudulent wagers totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars on Beasley's fixed performances, with the bets keyed to his individual prop lines such as rebounds and points. Davis, out of the NBA since 2022, was among those betting on his former teammate's statistics.
"Only way you can beat Vegas is sports betting," Davis texted Beasley in December 2023, about a month before the first alleged fixed game, according to the indictment. "We can make some good money."
The two allegedly became friends as Minnesota Timberwolves teammates during the 2020-21 season. Reports differ on the date of the first fixed game: CBS Sports, Al Jazeera and the Los Angeles Times cite a Jan. 26, 2024 Bucks-Cleveland Cavaliers contest, while NBC News reports it as Jan. 6. In that game, Beasley scored just three points and finished under his rebounding line, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors detailed additional games in which Beasley allegedly manipulated his stats, including a Feb. 27, 2024 game against the Charlotte Hornets, a March 10 game against the Los Angeles Clippers and a March 21 game against the Brooklyn Nets. The scheme allegedly unraveled in the March 21 game, when Beasley grabbed six rebounds — well above his season average — instead of going under as planned, costing the bettors.
Why prosecutors say the players were vulnerable
On paper, neither man appeared an obvious target for bribery. Beasley, 29, has earned roughly $59 million in his career, and Davis, 37, made about $47 million across 12 seasons. But prosecutors allege Beasley borrowed heavily from Davis to cover gambling debts and tried to repay him through the fixing scheme. The Los Angeles Times reported Beasley had separately been sued for $2.5 million by a former agency and for $6 million by a lender to athletes.
"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," said Joseph Nocella Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. He said such schemes "erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public."
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. said the defendants "operated an illegal betting ring in an attempt to unlawfully earn hundreds of thousands of dollars," alleging Beasley "allowed himself to be bought and altered his game-time performance."
A widening federal probe
The case is the latest in a sprawling federal gambling investigation that has touched multiple NBA figures, one of a string of high-profile federal bribery indictments drawing national attention, and detailed in the indictment unsealed Monday. Beasley and Davis are among the current or former NBA players charged in the broader FBI probe into sports gambling and insider-information trading.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier has pleaded not guilty to four charges tied to an alleged betting ring. Former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter and former NBA player and Lakers assistant Damon Jones have pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and Hall of Famer and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was charged in connection with an alleged rigged poker scheme. Prosecutors said Jones is a co-conspirator in the newly unsealed Beasley-Davis indictment.
As of Monday, Davis had been arrested and was set to be arraigned in Brooklyn, while Beasley was not yet in custody, according to prosecutors. An NBA spokesman, Mike Bass, said the league was "in the process of reviewing the federal indictment" and would "continue to investigate this matter and cooperate with the relevant authorities."
"An indictment is nothing but a probable cause one-sided charging document," Beasley's lawyer, Steve Haney, told CBS Sports. "It is not evidence and Malik maintains his presumption of innocence." Attorneys for Davis did not immediately respond to requests for comment, NBC News reported.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Malik Beasley and Ed Davis charged with?
According to the federal indictment, the six defendants face charges including wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. The charges are allegations; an indictment is not a conviction.
What does the indictment allege the scheme involved?
Prosecutors allege Beasley manipulated his individual statistics — such as rebounds and points — in several 2023-24 Milwaukee Bucks games so co-conspirators could win prop bets, and that he accepted bribes used to pay off gambling debts he owed Davis, whom the indictment calls his "gatekeeper."
How does this fit into the larger NBA gambling investigation?
The case stems from a broad FBI probe into sports gambling and insider-information trading that has charged multiple NBA figures, including Terry Rozier, Jontay Porter, Damon Jones and Chauncey Billups. Prosecutors said Jones is a co-conspirator in the Beasley-Davis indictment.
Have the players responded to the charges?
Beasley's lawyer, Steve Haney, said an indictment "is not evidence" and that Beasley "maintains his presumption of innocence." Attorneys for Davis did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to NBC News.
Sources
Reporting compiled from court records and the cited source outlets.