Former UNC, NBA player among six charged in federal sports betting indictment
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Former UNC player Ed Davis indicted on federal charges tied to sports bribery and money.
- Prosecutors allege Malik Beasley was bribed to alter his NBA game performances.
- Indictment charges include wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests and money.
A former North Carolina men’s basketball player has been indicted in Brooklyn on federal charges related to sports bribery, illegal betting and money laundering conspiracies.
Ed Davis, a member of the 2009 UNC national championship team and former NBA player, was listed as a defendant by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. He and Malik Beasley were the two primary defendants, according to court records.
William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, Ernesto Plascencia, and current NBA agent Paolo Zamorano were listed as co-conspirators. The six men were officially charged with “wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy.”
If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy, up to 20 years in prison for money laundering conspiracy and up to five years in prison for bribery in sports.
New York prosecutors worked with FBI offices in Charlotte, Los Angeles, Omaha, Chicago and Las Vegas on the case.
Federal indictment details alleged crimes
Prosecutors allege the group bribed Beasley to alter his performances in games and use insider information to place prop bets on the former NBA player, intending to profit off illegal gambling activity. Davis and Beasley briefly played together with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Davis was with the franchise from 2020-21, while Beasley was on the roster from 2020-22.
Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023-24, when prosecutors claim most of the alleged illegal activities occurred.
The indictment stated the two players became close during the 2020-21 season and “maintained a close relationship during the relevant period.” Davis reportedly loaned Beasley money during the relevant period. Plascencia was a friend of Davis and other NBA players, while Zamorano previously represented Davis, the indictment states.
Beasley was accused in 2025 of illegal sports betting and has been playing in Puerto Rico. Davis played internationally from 2023-24.
The announcement on Monday indicated several defendants were arrested and will be arraigned in New York at a later date.
“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 Joseph Nocella Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. “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. Our office will continue in its strong tradition of holding accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt sports through illegal means.”
According to the indictment, four other co-conspirators and three betting companies are listed. These have not been made public but were shared with the grand jury.
“These defendants allegedly operated an illegal betting ring in an attempt to unlawfully earn hundreds of thousands of dollars,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle said in a statement. “As alleged, Malik Beasley allowed himself to be bought and altered his gametime performance to line pockets of Ed Davis and his other co-conspirators. The FBI continues to dismantle fraudulent schemes that erode the integrity of any institution, including our nation’s professional sports leagues.”
From approximately December 2023 to April 2024, Beasley and the other defendants reportedly influenced NBA games by providing, obtaining and using insider information to place fraudulent bets, or to encourage others to place fraudulent bets, prosecutors claim.
The defendants allegedly received payouts from betting companies based on non-public information, and Beasley’s debts were reduced or paid off. The indictment shows text messages between Beasley, Davis and other co-conspirators.
The first instance of illegal betting reportedly took place on Jan. 26, 2024 during the Milwaukee Bucks-Cleveland Cavaliers game. The day before the game, Beasley reportedly told Davis he intended to underperform with regard to rebounding. They placed multiple fraudulent bets, according to the indictment, one of which profited more than $14,000.
A month later, the indictment claims Beasley told his co-conspirators he would underperform in relation to scoring and overperform in relation to rebounding on the Feb. 27, 2024 game between the Bucks and Charlotte Hornets.
One unnamed co-conspirator allegedly placed a fraudulent bet, at Gorodetsky’s direction, worth just under $25,000. The bet profited nearly $77,200, prosecutors said.
The scheme allegedly collapsed in 2024 after defendants and co-conspirators placed bets after Davis reportedly notified them of Beasley’s participation. Beasley, however, did not play and the bettors lost thousands of dollars, according to the indictment. They demanded Davis repay the lost bets or arrange for Beasley to fix future games. Davis allegedly agreed to continue the conspiracy but backed out after seeing reports that Jontray Porter was under investigation for similar claims.
Other defendants discussed contacting Beasley directly, without Davis serving as the alleged “gatekeeper,” to continue the scheme.
Davis and Beasley allegedly deleted messages and left group chats to hide their involvement.
Defendants’ connections to NC and the ACC
Beasley played for Florida State — he selected the school over Connecticut, Wake Forest, and UCLA, among others — from 2015-16, where he was an All-ACC Freshman Team selection.
He averaged 15.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game and became the Seminoles’ first one-and-done prospect. Beasley was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the first round as the No. 19 overall pick.
Davis played for North Carolina, under former head coach Roy Williams, from 2008-10. He appeared in every game during his freshman season. Davis scored 11 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the 2009 national championship win over Michigan State.
The Toronto Raptors drafted him No. 13 overall in 2010, where he played for two seasons. Davis bounced around the league for much of his career.
This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 3:02 PM with the headline "Former UNC, NBA player among six charged in federal sports betting indictment."
