Malik Beasley and Ed Davis Indicted in NY Betting Probe

Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York unsealed an indictment charging former NBA players Malik Beasley and Ed Davis and four others with conspiring to manipulate game performances and place bets between December 2023 and April 2024.

The indictment alleges Davis acted as a “gatekeeper” who recruited and passed instructions to bettors and associates. Prosecutors say the group bribed Beasley to underperform or overperform in specific statistical categories and used that inside information to place wagers. Bribes were commonly made by reducing or clearing Beasley’s gambling debts to Davis, the indictment states.

The unsealed charging documents name co-defendants William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia and Paolo Zamorano, who is identified as a registered NBA player agent. The defendants face counts of wire fraud conspiracy, honest-services wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests and money laundering conspiracy.

Prosecutors allege Beasley had “multi-million dollar gambling losses” and that the conspirators placed “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in bets based on inside information. The indictment lists three unidentified sportsbooks as victims and asserts the scheme produced numerous successful wagers.

The filings detail specific games. On Jan. 26, 2024, Beasley is accused of informing Davis he would finish under a 3.5 rebound line against Cleveland; he recorded three rebounds in a 112-110 loss. On Feb. 27, prosecutors say he agreed to underperform in points and overperform in rebounds against Charlotte, finishing with six points and four rebounds; wagers tied to that game returned about $77,187.60 for the group. On March 10, he is accused of pursuing extra rebounds against the Los Angeles Clippers and securing a late board to clear a 3.5 line.

Prosecutors included contemporaneous text messages among co-conspirators after the March 10 game. One message reads, “OMG… HE GOT 1 REB WITH 1.1 second left… NO WAY… He pushed [teammate] outta the way lmaoooooooo.” Another message notes relief that the late rebound prevented heavy losses.

Several defendants were arrested at locations across the country and will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York. Court documents list additional unindicted co-conspirators, including bettors in New York and Arizona and an assistant coach at a Division II men’s basketball program.

U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. stated in a press release that the defendants “turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation” and that such schemes “erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public.” The Business and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is handling the case.

Each defendant faces maximum penalties that include up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy counts and up to five years for the bribery-in-sporting-contests count. Earlier court filings in 2025 indicated Beasley had been cleared in a separate investigation. Beasley averaged 16.3 points per game in the 2024-25 season, finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting and had been in discussions for a sizable free-agent contract before the allegations affected his status.