The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) this week unveiled indictments in two major operations: Operation Royal Flush and Operation Nothing But Bet. These probes target alleged illegal sports betting within the NBA and sophisticated schemes to rig high‐stakes poker games.
Most of those named in the indictments face charges in one of the two investigations, but three individuals were indicted in both.
High-Profile Names and Charges
Among those indicted:
- Damon Jones (former NBA player and coach)
- Eric “Spook” Earnest
- Shane “Sugar” Hennen
All three appear in both the betting and poker investigations. - Terry Rozier (current Miami Heat guard), Marves Fairley (Mississippi native), and Deniro Laster are named in the NBA‐betting indictment.
- Chauncey Billups (head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Basketball Hall of Famer) is among 31 indicted in the rigged‐poker case.
Spotlight on Marves Fairley
Fairley, from Bassfield, Mississippi, and a graduate of Alcorn State University, promotes himself on Facebook as the “#1 Sports Betting Consultant” and entrepreneur.
In the 23‐page indictment, he is identified by aliases such as “Vez,” “Vezino,” or “Vezino Locks.” He allegedly operated an Instagram account under the name “Vezino Locks,” offering betting tips (the term “locks” is slang for sure-win bets). The indictment further claims that Fairley and his associates used privileged information to place fraudulent bets and launder the proceeds.
Named Defendants in Each Probe
NBA Betting Indictment
- Eric Earnest (“Spook”)
- Marves Fairley (“Vez,” “Vezino” or “Vezino Locks”)
- Shane Hennen (“Sugar”)
- Damon Jones (“Dee Jones”)
- Deniro Laster (“Niro,” “Payso” or “Peso”)
- Terry Rozier (“Scary Terry” or “Chum”)
Rigged Poker Scheme Indictment
- Ernest Aiello
- Nelson Alvarez (“Spanish G”)
- Louis Apicella (“Lou Ap”)
- Ammar Awawdeh (“Flapper Poker” or “Flappy”)
- Saul Becher
- Chauncey Billups
- Matthew Daddino (“Matty” or “The Wrestler”)
- Eric Earnest (“Spook”)
- Lee Fama
- John Gallo
- Marco Garzon
- Thomas Gelardo (“Juice”)
- Jamie Gilet
- Tony Goodson (“Black Tony”)
- Kenny Han
- Shane Hennen (“Sugar”)
- Osman Hoti (“Albanian Bruce” or “Big Bruce”)
- Horatio Hu (“H”)
- Zhen Hu (“Jonathan Chan,” “Scruli” or “Stanley”)
- Damon Jones (“Dee Jones”)
- Joseph Lanni
- John Mazzola (“John South”)
- Curtis Meeks (“Curt”)
- Nicholas Minucci
- Michael Renzulli
- Anthony Ruggiero Jr.
- Anthony Shnayderman (“Doc”)
- Robert Stroud (“Black Rob”)
- Seth Trustman
- Sophia Wei (“Pookie”)
- Julius Ziliani (“Jay”)
Why These Investigations Matter
These indictments underscore how the FBI is taking a hard line on alleged corruption in professional sports and high‐stakes gambling. The involvement of current and former NBA personalities alongside organized crime figures adds gravity to the cases.
The charges span multiple states and include wire fraud, money laundering, and illegal gambling business—revealing the complex financial networks behind these schemes.
