Former NBA players Malik Beasley and Ed Davis were indicted on June 29, 2026, by federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York for their roles in a sports betting scheme involving rigged player performance during the 2023-24 NBA season [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The indictment named a total of six defendants, including NBA player agent Paolo Zamorano, William Brown, Rob Gorodetsky, and Ernesto Plascencia along with Beasley and Davis [3, 4, 5].
According to court documents, Beasley and Davis conspired to manipulate Beasley's on-court performance in multiple games to influence prop bets on specific statistical categories such as points and rebounds [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Co-conspirators placed hundreds of thousands of dollars in wagers on games where Beasley planned to either underperform or overperform. Text messages cited in the indictment reveal coordination and celebration of betting profits, including a December 2023 message from Davis to Beasley discussing sports betting earnings [3, 4].
Beasley, who played for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2023-24 season, had a nine-year NBA career spanning six teams from 2016 to 2025, earning nearly $60 million but also accumulating multimillion-dollar gambling losses [1, 2, 3, 5]. Davis played 12 NBA seasons from 2010 to 2022 across eight teams and was Beasley's teammate on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2020-21 season [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. He allegedly acted as a "gatekeeper" for the scheme by facilitating loans to Beasley and helping coordinate bets [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The indictment cites specific games allegedly affected by the scheme, including matchups against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 26, the Charlotte Hornets on Feb. 27, the Los Angeles Clippers on March 10, and the Brooklyn Nets on March 21, 2024 [4, 5]. In one instance, Beasley went over on rebounds against the Nets contrary to plan, which led to demands to fix future bets [4].
Four defendants were arrested on June 29, including Ed Davis. Malik Beasley and Paolo Zamorano were not in custody but are expected to voluntarily surrender soon [3, 5]. The defendants face charges of sports bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering [4, 5]. Beasley and Davis will be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn, though no date has been set yet [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Beasley's attorney, Steven Haney, said, "Malik maintains his presumption of innocence throughout this two-year investigation. We ask that people reserve judgment until all the facts are known" [1]. The NBA and the Milwaukee Bucks have not issued public comments on the indictments as of June 29, 2026 [1, 2, 3].
After the alleged scheme, Beasley had a career season with the Detroit Pistons in 2024-25, averaging 16.3 points per game and making 319 three-pointers at 42 percent shooting [4, 5].
U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said, "Bribery and insider betting schemes like this one involving former NBA players and a current NBA player agent who exploited inside NBA information for profit erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public" [5].
