Former Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley has been indicted on federal charges related to a sports betting scheme that allegedly involved bribing him to manipulate his in-game performance during the 2023-2024 NBA season, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York .
The indictment, unsealed on June 29, 2026, charges Beasley alongside former NBA player Edward Davis, current NBA player agent Paolo Zamorano, and three other co-conspirators William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, and Ernesto Plascencia with wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy .
According to prosecutors, Beasley, then playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, allegedly conspired with his former Minnesota Timberwolves teammate Davis to manipulate his statistical performance in multiple games. Davis is described in court documents as Beasley’s “gatekeeper,” disseminating non-public information about Beasley’s intended performance to co-conspirators who then placed fraudulent wagers .
“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 U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. .
The indictment outlines specific games where Beasley allegedly coordinated his performance with Davis:
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January 26, 2024 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Beasley allegedly informed Davis he would underperform in rebounding
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February 27, 2024 vs. Charlotte Hornets: Beasley allegedly planned to underperform in points while overperforming in rebounding
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March 10, 2024 vs. Los Angeles Clippers: Beasley allegedly planned to overperform in rebounding
In total, the defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly placed fraudulent wagers totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars conditioned on Beasley’s fixed performance.
The indictment alleges that Beasley received bribes in return for his performance manipulation, typically through having his gambling debts to Davis reduced or paid off. Despite earning tens of millions during his NBA career, Beasley had accumulated multi-million dollar gambling losses .
Davis, who played 12 NBA seasons and earned approximately $48 million in gross salary, extended loans to Beasley that created financial leverage. The two were teammates on the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2020-2021 season .
Beasley, 29, last played in the NBA for the Detroit Pistons during the 2024-25 season, where he averaged 16.3 points per game and finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting. He became one of only five players in NBA history to make 300 three-pointers in a single season, with 319 .
His attorney, Steve Haney, confirmed the indictment and stated that Beasley is coordinating a voluntary surrender with the government this week .
“I am in receipt of the indictment from the Department of Justice. They’ve allowed us to coordinate the surrender of Malik by Wednesday,” Haney said in a statement. “We will be receiving more information and look forward to vigorously defending Malik against any of these charges”.
Haney added: “Malik is very disappointed. He was anticipating potentially signing with a team this week in free agency, and now, this is obviously going to be a barrier” .
Beasley was reportedly close to signing a three-year, $42 million deal to rejoin the Pistons last summer before the investigation emerged, forcing the team to withdraw its offer .
The indictment is part of a sweeping federal investigation into gambling and sports corruption. In April 2026, former NBA player Damon Jones became the first person to plead guilty in the probe, admitting to using “inside information” through his NBA relationships to gain an edge in sports bets .
Other prominent figures charged in the investigation include Hall of Fame member and former Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who faces charges related to an alleged conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games. Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier has also been charged in connection with the scheme .
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy counts, and five years on the bribery in sporting contests count . The charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty .
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