Former NBA players Malik Beasley, Ed Davis indicted in gambling case

John Annese, New York Daily News on Jun 29, 2026

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NEW YORK — Former NBA players Malik Beasley and Edward Davis were indicted Monday on federal allegations related to a sports gambling scheme that focused on at least four games during the 2023-24 season, making them the latest players to face charges in a widespread sports betting scandal.

Beasley, 29, most recently a guard with the Detroit Pistons before the gambling investigation derailed his free agency last year, and Davis, 37, are charged alongside four others in Brooklyn Federal Court with wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.

Beasley is accused of fixing three games in 2024, when he played for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Davis, a former teammate of Beasley on the Minnesota Timberwolves, acted as his “gatekeeper,” and Beasley owed him gambling debts, according to federal prosecutors. Davis last played in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022.

The two decided which games Beasley would underperform and overperform in when it came to statistics like rebounds and points scored, according to the indictment. In exchange, Beasley’s debts would be reduced or paid off, the indictment alleges.

“Only way you can beat Vegas is sports betting. Everything else they got the edge,” Davis told Beasely in a text message exchange on Dec. 29, 2023 — about a month before he agreed to tamp down how many rebounds he would get in a Jan. 25, 2024, game against the Cavaliers.

Davis then asked to take the conversation to Snapchat, explaining, “Better to talk on there. We can make some good money,” the indictment alleges.

The indictment names four other suspects who were allegedly in on the bets: William Brown, 39, of Nebraska; Robert Gorodtesky, 34, of Illinois; Ernesto Plascencia, 39, of California, who’s pals with Davis and other NBA players; and Paolo Zamorano, 39, a former Division I Men’s college basketball player and Davis’ former agent.

“As alleged, the defendants turned professional basketball into a criminal betting operation, bribing then-NBA player Malik Beasley to fix his performance in multiple games in order to place fraudulent wagers, enrich themselves and cheat legitimate sportsbooks,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella said Monday.

Four of the suspects have been arrested, while two others, Beasely and Zamorano, are not yet in federal custody.

“An indictment is nothing but a probable cause one-sided charging document. It is not evidence and Malik maintains his presumption of innocence,” Beasley’s attorney, Steven Haney, told the New York Daily News Monday. “We ask that people reserve judgment until all the facts are known.”

Zamorano’s lawyer, Ken Breen, said, “These charges are unfounded. Paolo looks forward to his day in court, where he will be exonerated.”

The conspirators placed tens of thousands of dollars on bets that Beasley would underperform on rebounds in the Jan. 26, 2024, game — a match where he scored three points, one assist and three rebounds, the indictment says. The oddsmakers had set Beasely’s betting line at 3.5 rebounds.

Almost a month later, Plascencia asked Davis when Beasley would next fix a game for them and Davis responded, “Whenever I say. Just going to chill tonight but after this it’s go time,” the indictment says.

They waited for a game that wasn’t nationally televised — the Feb. 27, 2024, match between the Bucks and the Charlotte Hornets, when Beasley agreed to get fewer points and score more rebounds, the indictment alleges.

The gamblers collectively profited about $100,000 on that game, the indictment says.

Things didn’t go as smoothly the third go around, when the Bucks played the L.A. Clippers on March 10, 2024, according to the indictment.

Beasley agreed to overperform when it came to getting rebounds but some of the co-conspirators mistakenly thought the plan was for him to underperform.

He played 39 minutes, scoring 17 points, one assist and four rebounds — clearing the 3.5 rebound betting line with 1.1 seconds left in the game.

“Fam we were 1.1 secs away from being down thousands lol,” Brown texted Plascencia, according to the indictment.

The scheme fell apart on March 21, 2024, when Beasley failed to underperform on rebounds as planned in a game against the Brooklyn Nets, the indictment says.

Plascencia demanded Davis either compensate the losing bets or make Beasley fix more games, according to the indictment.

Davis agreed to keep fixing the games — but news got out that Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter was under investigation for fixing games so he abandoned that plan, the indictment alleges.

Porter has since pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy. Last year, the feds in Brooklyn indicted Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and former Cavaliers player and coach Damon Jones on charges they were engaged in a similar game-rigging scheme.

Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Jones were also indicted on charges they participated in rigged underground poker games to cheat high rollers out of millions of dollars.

Jones took a plea deal in his case in April, while the cases against Rozier and Billups are pending.

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