"In this case, prosecutors allege, the intermediary was Robert L. Stroud, a 67-year-old Louisville man with a criminal history. In 1994, Stroud killed a man during an evening playing cards and gambling at a home in Louisville, according to local outlet WAVE News. The outlet also reported that when Stroud was pulled over in 2001 for having expired tags, a police officer found "sports betting cards, dice, playing cards and what appeared to be gambling records" in the back seat."
"Stroud recruited Billups and Jones to take part in rigged poker games run by members of New York City's most prominent crime families, according to an indictment and accompanying court documents made public last week. "Stroud recruited former professional athletes, including defendants Billups and Damon Jones, into the conspiracy to lure wealthy victims into playing in the games," according to a detention memo filed with the case."
Prosecutors allege that Robert L. Stroud, a 67-year-old Louisville man with a criminal record, recruited Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and veteran Damon Jones to participate in rigged poker games. Those games were allegedly run by members of New York City's most prominent crime families and designed to lure wealthy victims into cheating schemes. Stroud's past includes a 1994 homicide during a gambling night and a 2001 traffic stop where officers found "sports betting cards, dice, playing cards and what appeared to be gambling records" in his vehicle. Former prosecutors and organized-crime specialists note that introductions through trusted acquaintances can lead athletes into criminal networks.
Read at ESPN.com
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