First prison sentence dealt in NBA illegal betting scandal

Sports and entertainment reporter Mike Gunzelman joins 'Fox & Friends First' to react to the explosive federal probe linking NBA players and coaches to an illegal sports betting ring with mafia connections.

The first prison sentence has been dealt related to the wide-ranging NBA betting scandal that rocked the sport in the fall. 

Timothy McCormack was sentenced by a New York federal judge Wednesday to two years in prison, per ESPN.

"I've struggled with a gambling addiction for more than half my life," McCormack said at his sentencing.

McCormack was charged with defrauding sports betting platforms by using nonpublic information to place highly profitable wagers tied to the performance of NBA players allegedly in on the scheme.

"He has an addiction," federal Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall said. "I don't believe the conduct Mr. McCormack engaged in defines him."

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Christopher Raia, assistant director in charge of the FBI's NY Field Office, speaks as Director Kash Patel listens during a press conference on Oct. 23, 2025, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

McCormack took part in the scheme that allegedly involved former NBA players Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones.

Documents released by the FBI allege the conspirators used a card-shuffling machine that used concealed technology to read the cards in the deck and predict which player at the table had the best hand, and relayed that information via interstate wires to an off-site operator. 

According to the documents, the operator allegedly communicated that information back to a lead conspirator at the poker table, who used signals to relay the information with other conspirators at the table. 

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