Former NBA players Malik Beasley and Edward Davis, along with current sports agent Paolo Zamorano and three others, have been indicted on charges related to an alleged sports gambling scheme. Prosecutors claim Beasley was bribed to manipulate his performance in NBA games, allowing his associates to profit from fraudulent bets.
According to federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, Beasley allegedly communicated his intent to underperform to Davis during at least three specific games in the 2023-2024 NBA season. In exchange for this information, Beasley was to receive a bribe payment. Davis then allegedly disseminated this inside information to co-defendants, who placed bets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars on the outcomes.
One instance cited in the indictment occurred on January 26, 2024, when Beasley, then playing for the Milwaukee Bucks against the Cleveland Cavaliers, allegedly told Davis he intended to underperform his usual rebounding numbers. Subsequent fraudulent wagers were reportedly successful. The following month, in a game between the Bucks and the Charlotte Hornets, Beasley allegedly informed Davis he would score less and rebound more than usual. Again, Davis allegedly shared this information with co-defendants who then placed successful fraudulent bets.
A third alleged incident involved a March 2024 game between the Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers, where Beasley reportedly told Davis he would exceed his usual rebounding performance. These alleged acts enabled the defendants and their conspirators to place fraudulent wagers totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars through various betting operators, conditioned on Beasley's manipulated game performance.
"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," said United States Attorney Joseph Nocella. He added that such schemes "erode the integrity of American sports and victimize the sports-watching public."
Malik Beasley's attorney, Steve Haney, stated that an indictment is merely a charging document and not evidence. He asserted that Beasley maintains his presumption of innocence throughout the two-year investigation and asked for judgment to be reserved until all facts are known.