A defendant in the rigged poker games and NBA gambling scandal, Ammar Awawdeh, has reached a plea deal. Awawdeh is involved in the cases that led to the arrests of Jontay Porter, Terry Rozier, Malik Beasley, Chauncey Billups, and Damon Jones, as well as members of Mafia families.
Prosecutors say the 34-year-old is an associate of the Gambino crime family and allegedly helped organize and participated in the rigged poker games. In addition, he allegedly stole a shuffling machine to be used in the games in an armed robbery.
He is also accused of wagering on Porter and Rozier’s prop markets after the players confirmed they would exit games early. He is facing charges of wire fraud, operating an illegal gambling business, money laundering, and robbery.
ESPN writer David Purdum confirmed that he has entered a plea deal, but did not specify the terms.
Awawdeh Forced Porter to Exit Games
Prosecutors produced evidence that Awawdeh sent a message saying he was “forcing” Porter to exit games early when playing for the Raptors.
He then passed this information on to co-conspirators. One of his friends, Timothy McCormack, was jailed for two years in April after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. McCormack admitted to using the information from Awawdeh to place wagers.
Awawdeh has also been named as a co-conspirator in the indictment against Beasley. The US Attorney’s Office released a letter stating that Awawdeh’s “participation in the scheme charged in Beasley, et al. will likely be considered as relevant criminal conduct by the ultimate sentencing court.”
Gambino Associate At Center Of Mafia Feud
With his connections to organized crime, Awawdeh is likely to face a considerably longer sentence than McCormack.
The Gambino and Bonanno crime families had allegedly agreed to run the rigged poker games together. However, Awawdeh, an associate of the Gambinos, then started his own game on the same night as the Bonanno’s game on Lexington Avenue.
Upon learning this, members of the Bonanno family stormed Awawdeh’s game and assaulted him, inciting a mass brawl. They subsequently demanded that the group no longer associate with Awawdeh.
The New York townhouse at 80 Washington Place in Greenwich Village, which Awawdeh used to host the games, was up for sale for almost $25 million last year.
Rozier Suffers Setback for NBA Return
Rozier, like Porter, is accused of deliberately exiting games early and informing bettors, such as Awawdeh, so they could profit on the markets. He maintains his innocence in the case and now wants to return to the NBA after being released by the Miami Heat in April.
Porter is awaiting sentencing after admitting to manipulating his performance for betting purposes. The NBA subsequently banned him for life, but he resumed his career with the Seattle SuperHawks in the USBL this year. After helping the team win the championship, he was named the league’s MVP.
The terms of Rozier’s bail conditions mean he is unable to contact certain players who could be witnesses in the case. His travel is also limited.
A judge this week rejected a request from his lawyers to modify the conditions, stating it would be impossible to monitor the conversations Rozier may have in practice or on court with potential witnesses.
Rozier has already violated his bail conditions by texting an individual he was barred from contacting. Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall said this was a factor in denying his request.
“What that tells me is that he believes he knows better than the court,” DeArcy Hall said at a hearing in court on Wednesday. Rozier, she said, “violated the court’s trust with that text message.”
DeArcy Hall is the same judge who sentenced McCormack and will now consider the punishment to hand down to Awawdeh.
