Former NBA player Malik Beasley pleads not guilty in gambling scandal

Former NBA player Malik Beasley pleaded not guilty Wednesday to criminal charges stemming from an alleged sports betting scheme in which prosecutors say he manipulated his on-court appearance to benefit bettors.

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Beasley, 29, who wore a navy suit during the brief arraignment in Brooklyn, acknowledged that he read the indictment and understood the criminal charges filed against him.

He spoke very little, allowing his attorney to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf. A magistrate judge released Beasley on a $100,000 bond, with his mother and father co-signing.

The former NBA player is also prohibited from gambling or contacting witnesses and co-defendants.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Beasley, while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, agreed with another ex-NBA player, Ed Davis, in 2024 to fix his performance in multiple games so Davis and others could place fraudulent wagers on his performance.

In exchange, Beasley allegedly accepted bribes, which were used to pay off debts that he owed Davis, according to the indictment. Federal prosecutors said that Davis gave Beasley several loans after he racked up millions in gambling debt, despite earning tens of millions of dollars during his nine-year NBA career.

Prosecutors detailed at least four games where the defendants allegedly schemed to have Beasley manipulate individual game stats for the benefit of gamblers.

In one instance, Beasley allegedly told co-defendants to bet on him securing fewer than 3.5 rebounds during the Bucks-Cleveland Cavaliers game on Jan. 6, 2024. He pulled down one board that night.

The illegal gambling ring placed wagers totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, including bets amounting to $75,000 with winnings of at least $121,000.

Six people, including Beasley and Davis, were charged in the indictment with wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Weintraub, who appeared with Kaitlin Farrell on behalf of the government, said Beasley has known about the federal investigation for about a year.

Beasley’s attorney, Jason Goldman, told reporters that the former NBA player looks forward to fighting the charges.

“This is only the very beginning of things. An arrest means nothing. An indictment means nothing,” Goldman said.

He is due back in court for a status conference in August.

Beasley is the latest charged in a growing sports gambling investigation led by prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York.

Last year, current and former NBA players, along with a coach, were among nearly three dozen people indicted in connection with two major alleged operations last year. One case zeroed in on the rigging of poker games backed by the Mafia and the other on the use of nonpublic information to place wagers on multiple NBA games.

Among the defendants in the cases are former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and ex-NBA player Damon Jones, as well as members and associates of four major Mafia crime families.

In April, Jones, 49, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role to defraud major sportsbooks, including DraftKings and FanDuel, and swindle millions of dollars from poker players.

Federal prosecutors said Jones is a co-conspirator in the new indictment involving Beasley and Davis, and his alleged involvement is likely to be considered when he is sentenced.