The Largest Child-Recovery Effort in U.S. History | Crime Alert 4PM 11.17.25

Florida pushes deeper into its mission to bring missing children home, launching an operation that has become the largest child-recovery effort in U.S. history. The NBA pushes deeper into a sweeping gambling probe that now involves multiple teams including the Los Angeles Lakers, widening an investigation that has already shaken the league in the wake of a betting scandal in the MLB. Drew Nelson reports.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alert, hourly update, breaking crime news Now. I'm Drew Nelson.
Florida is pushing deeper into its holiday mission to bring
missing children home, launching an operation that our partners at
Fox News say has become the largest child recovery effort
in United States history. Florida Attorney General James Utmeyer stepped
forward to describe the rescue of one hundred and twenty

(00:22):
two children who ranged in age from toddler to teen.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Here in Florida, Protecting our kids, keeping them safe, that
is mission number one.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
The AG credits the US Marshall Service under Marshall William Bergeron,
along with state and local agencies, for coordinating searches across
the state. Many of the rescued children had endured exploitation, neglect,
and sexual abuse, and some had cycled through foster care
or lived as runaways. Investigators used undercover teams and new

(00:50):
technology to attract children who had been reported missing throughout
the year. Utmyer said the mission will not end with
their recovery.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
The largest US child rescue operation in history. We'll stay
at it. We're going to get these kids the care
and therapy and treatment they need to get them back
on the road.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
To recovery, Butmeier says earlier operations often uncovered predators who
were in the country illegally, but details from this sweep
are still developing. He acknowledges the next steps will be
difficult for state leaders, who must determine whether each child
can safely return home or needs placement in another foster
home or care facility. He says the goal is to

(01:28):
build stability for children who have only known instability. He
warns that child trafficking organizations remain more widespread than most
people realize. Organized crime, drug cartels, and online networks fuel
the underground trade. Florida continues to work with federal partners
to locate victims. The Attorney General then took a pause

(01:48):
and spoke not as a prosecutor, but as a father.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
It's horrific that there are people out there that are
willing to do that. They cannot be reconditioned. In my opinion,
they are sick, they're evil, and they need the fullest
force of prosecution coming at them.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
He adds that Florida families can be confident he will
fight every day to protect their children with quote absolutely
everything he has. More crime and justice news after this,
the NBA pushes deeper into a sweeping gambling probe that

(02:24):
now involves multiple teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, widening
an investigation that has already shaken the league in the
wake of a betting scandal in the MLB. Damon Jones,
who has described as an unofficial coach for the Lakers,
is the key figure whose alleged actions triggered the search
for documents, phones, and internal communications. Jones is a former

(02:44):
player who spent most of his career as a guard,
best known for his time with the Miami Heat during
the mid two thousands. After retiring, he worked as an
assistant coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers and most recently served
in the unofficial role supporting Lebron James. Federal prosecutors say
Joan un sold non public injury information to gamblers while
working around the league and leveraging his long standing ties

(03:06):
to prominent players. Court filings outline at least two occasions
when he allegedly shared early injury details to influence bets.
Jones has pleaded not guilty. Investigators hired by the NBA
are now examining how inside information may have traveled and
whether staff members within affected organizations had any knowledge of
jones activities. Among those who have already cooperated are assistant

(03:29):
trainer Mike Mansius and executive administrator Randy Mims, who voluntarily
surrendered their cell phones. Neither has been accused of wrongdoing.
Lebron James has not been named in any federal charging documents,
and authorities have not suggested any misconduct by him. The
scandal stems from two separate federal cases, an illegal sports
betting scheme involving players and coaches, and a poker operation

(03:52):
that prosecutors say defrauded wealthy participants in rigged games. Those
cases also swept in Miami heat guard Terry Roser and
Portland Trailblazers head coach Shauncey Billups, who both deny wrongdoing.
Members of Congress are pressing the league for answers. A
bipartisan group on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
sent a formal request to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, demanding

(04:14):
details about the alleged betting schemes, the league's internal oversight,
and any gaps that allowed the misconduct to flourish. Lawmakers
also asked the NBA to explain whether its code of
conduct is strong enough to deter illegal betting activity, and
whether it's partnerships with gambling companies need reevaluation. NBA officials
have since signaled that rule changes, particularly around reporting injuries,

(04:37):
are coming likely to prevent sensitive medical information from being misused.
This comes after accusations of fixed prop bets in Major
League Baseball. Federal prosecutors have charged Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel
Clase and Luis Ortiz, alleging the players accepted bribes to
manipulate prop bets by throwing specific pitch types or speeds
during games. According to the indictment, betters one hundreds of

(05:00):
thousands of dollars by wagering on pre arranged outcomes tied
to individual pitches, often the very first pitch of an
at bat, while the players involved allegedly received kickbacks. The
scheme is said to have begun in twenty twenty three
with Clay and expanded in twenty twenty five to include Ortiz,
marking the first time active MLB players have been criminally
accused of rigging pitch by pitch wagers at the federal level.

(05:23):
Prosecutors warned the charges highlight how prop bet markets can
be exploited. Through insider access, adding new pressure on Major
League Baseball to tighten its gambling policies and monitoring. The
league has proposed a two hundred dollars bet limit on
individual pitches. For the latest crime and justice news, follow
Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app with
this crime Alert. I'm Drew Nelson.