October 23, 2025 • 34 mins
Dan and Ryan break down the indictment and list of charges against Chauncey Billups and his accomplices - with a colorful list of nicknames to ponder.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Dan Caplis and welcome to today's online podcast
edition of The Dan Caplis Show. Please be sure to
give us a five star rating if you'd be so kind,
and to subscribe, download and listen to the show every
single day on your favorite podcast platform.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
And why why would Chauncey Billups do it? Why would he?
If the allegations are to work with the mob to
lure people into big fixed poker games, why would he
do that? Three at three seven one, three eight two
five five the number text d an five seven, seventh,
thre or nine if you're new to this area. Chauncey
Billups has done so much good, so much charitable work.
(00:38):
He's been such a positive force in the community, not
just on the dollar side, but the energy side. So
to me, when I heard that report this morning, he
was just mind blowing. So maybe we'll get some more details.
I'm going to take you into the indictment document itself later,
and as you'll see, they don't have many specifics in
there about Chauncey Billups. But why love your thoughts on that?
(01:01):
Three oh three seOne three eight two five five textda
N five seven seventh through nine. We've continued today our
discussion because it's so important of whether a regular marijuana
user should lose their legal right to bear arms this
fundamental constitutional right. The Trump administration arguing to the Supreme
Court that they should, and so David Koppel, who's one
(01:23):
of the top two A experts in America, joined us
to talk about that. My position is legalized marijuana has
been a devastating, devastating scourge to this state and needs
to be reversed bought. Second Amendment right is fundamental, and
we should not be taking away the Second Amendment right
of an entire category of people just because they're regular
(01:46):
users of a substance that is legal at the state level.
What we need to be doing is we need to
be reversing Amendment sixty four, and then you address individual
cases right when you have individuals who you have reason
to believe are are dangerous, then you know that constitutionally
that can be addressed. But no, not stripping an entire
(02:07):
category of people. In my opinion, if you disagree or agree,
would love your thoughts on that. Interesting that we have
Jared Polus out a big lead piece in the post
by Nick Coltrane. Polus urges food bank donations, seeks ten
million in state assistants as shut down Freeze's snap benefits.
Governor Jared Polis ask Coloraden's to open their wallets Wednesday
(02:29):
to help fill the gap that will be created when
federal food assistant payments stop November one. Now, Ryan, I
did not see it in this story. Maybe it's in
other stories. Did Polus open his wallet? Did he make
a donation himself? No, I'm just asking. He may have,
for all I know, he made a million dollar donation,
but I don't see it in this story or any
(02:50):
other story that I've looked at. And Jared Polis phenomenally wealthy.
Credit to him for his prosperity. Well, well, listen, they
were great. They were tremendous entrepreneurs, his mom and dad
and just built this little greeting card company into a powerhouse.
And I admire the heck out of that, even though
I might disagree with that, probably disagree with their politics.
(03:11):
I don't know what their politics are. And then Policy
had some business ventures of his own. I don't minimize
any success he had in business himself. I just look
at what he's done to the state of Colorado, and
he's just done a ton of harm.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Well, what we do know, and I just had a
recent conversation with Congressman Jeff crank down in the fifth Congression,
and there where some of our listeners reside, Yeah, great
job that President Trump is doing his level best to
move things around in the aftermath of the shutdown and
make sure our military gets paid, certain other things get
accounted for. And there is a possibility to the story
(03:47):
that you're just mentioning there that Governor Polos could do
much of the same at the state level here now,
but it's a out.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Of his own pocket.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
No.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Well, that's what I'm wondering though, because when the governor
steps up and says Colorado's you need to open your
w because the Democrats have shut down the government, then
the question is have you done that yourself, Governor? And
maybe he has, but it's not in this story. And
you know, one of the reasons I ask is my
wife volunteers at a food bank each week, and she
(04:18):
called me today really upset because she said, and I
hear these great stories every week from her, but she said,
they're overrun with people coming in, these families desperate coming in,
they don't have food, and the food banks out of
food because of the run on food at the food bank.
And so you know, she called and we talked about,
(04:40):
you know, what we could do. And so what's the
governor doing, like out of his own pocket? I mean,
we're blessed to make a good paycheck and be well off.
But he is very, very, very wealthy. So if he's
going to stand up and ask Coloradens to quote open
their wallets, what has he done? And again, it may
be a ton, but I think it'd be helpful to
(05:01):
know it's got a wheat ridge. We'll start with Jay.
You're on the dan Kapla show.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Welcome Jay, dam Let's start kidding you too. Why would
he do it?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Well?
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Yes, I look back at some of the people I've
known in my life. I know a guy who won
the lottery forty million dollars from Netherlands. Wow, before the
year was over, he was absolutely broken in debt.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
So how do you do that? I mean, I know
half of it goes to the government, right, but what
about that.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
To Vegas, Vegas, Las Vegas. Wow, he's a big rich man,
wasn't I bet you? I bet the mob kind of
owns him, must It sounds like he loves gambling, and well,
the more you got, the more you have to play with.
The more you got, the more you have to lose.
I suspect he's a big time owned by the man.
(05:56):
I think he got there because it was fun and
my mind risk I suspect very highly the Mob bones.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
And Jay interesting called many many many Texters agree with
Jay that if these allegations are true and Chauncey was fronting,
you know, fraudulent card games for the Mob, three different
New York Mob families according to the allegation, I think
fourty four, Okay, only one was missing there, and he
maybe in the most danger from the one they didn't
(06:26):
include in the specifies. Yes it was the Columbo family.
Or they're like, wait a minute, yeah, we should have
been included in this.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Along with the but non old Gambino, genoves A and Lukes.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Yes, so I think, don't you think, Rian? That's what
most people are thinking. That's what certainly Texters are saying,
is that their theory is that Chauncey must have gotten
in in debt to the Mob and that's how he
got involved in these games. Because when you look at
the indictment itself, I'll get to it after the next break.
They don't have that many specifics in there about Chauncey
(06:58):
Billups in the indictment. They've got this one Vegas scheme
in twenty nineteen, but it's not like they have him
luring people in every other week or anything, at least
not in the indictment. One is too many, But I.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Think you're onto something. I'm very curious to see more
details come out. Cash Hotel right now is on with
lour Ingram on Fox News. But it might have been
where he got into a sticky wicket. You're in debt
to the mob, a place you do not want to be,
as outlined on The Sopranos, even though that's fictional. But
he might have been given one of two choices, well
three choices, but two choices, I meaning he could shave points,
he could rig games. Wasn't going to do that that
(07:34):
would be completely destructive of his entire legacy and career
in basketball, or participate in these rigged poker games, which
it's bad, it's really bad. But I don't know enough
about the layers to this dand if he was maybe
compromised to a point where it would affect how he
coached the Blazers.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
And that's a big sticking point, all right, right because
once you have this allegation now that he's in bed
with the mob, if that's true, yeah, how far back
does it go and does it tie into on the
court stuff? Because right now, if you were to look
at the indictments that came down today, you'd split them.
You'd see them split into two different documents. You've got
(08:12):
one indictment document that deals with the NBA on the
court stuff. Billups is not part of that indictment. Then
you've got a separate indictment that deals with the fraudulent
poker games. Billups is part of that indictment. Is there
some crossover that is not charged at this point? Who knows, right?
But I understand why people are concerned and suspicious about that.
(08:35):
All of it heartbreaking, right because until this morning, every
impression I ever had of Chauncey Phillips was entirely positive.
And whatever bad he did here doesn't wipe out all
the good. It doesn't make all that go away, but
it just brings you back to why would he do it?
And I, again, we don't have all the facts right now,
but I bring it back to in a broader theory,
(08:58):
just this fundamental truth truth that I think what happens
to a lot of wealthy people is they find out
that all that money, it could even be billions, and
Chauncey wasn't a billionaire, it isn't going to buy them happiness.
It can make their life easier and nicer and have
a lot of nice travel, but ultimately it isn't going
(09:20):
to be that fulfillment. The fulfillment has to come somewhere else.
And I think a lot of people listening would agree
with me and our worldview that that ultimate fulfillment comes
from a relationship with God. So I think you get
an awful lot of people with an awful lot of money,
or awful lot of people don't have a lot of money,
but think, Okay, the fulfillment's going to come from this
vice or that vice, and then they're always looking for
(09:43):
the next high. They're always and I don't mean drugs necessarily,
sometimes they're always looking for the next high. They're always
looking for that next big challenge, that next big win,
and then you end up at these extremes. We know
how big of a gambler Michael Jordan was. It's a
great point. What a great point.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Well, and there are a lot of people that were
insinuating and somewhat strongly that was a big reason that
drove him out of the NBA in the mid nineties
where he disappeared and played double a baseball for a
little while.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Yeah, but that was never proven, right, But it's it's
an interesting man and probably yeah, probably denials, not just
to even in Egypt, but it you know, it does
bring you back to you know, Jordan, then going to golf,
because that game is one of the few places now
where people who have a lot of money and want
(10:33):
to beat a lot of money can go bat a
lot of money legally on the golf course as long
as the money is staying within the foursome or hover.
Many people are involved, and I know, having been a caddy,
that those games can get a caddy where we had
some mobsters, those games can get very, very very large,
(10:54):
which was always incredibly exciting, incredibly.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Exciting, I think stressful when you're the cat, right when
you're the caddy.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yeah, maybe if you're the guy with the three foot
or for thirty or forty grand, it's not as exciting
three or three seven one three eight two five five
the number text d A N five seven seven three ninety.
Why do you think Chauncey did it? If he did,
you're on the Dankpla Show and now back to the
Dan Kaplas Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
This ain't the platform for me to get into it
the way I'm going to get into it.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
But I've been saying he's coming.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
He's coming because in his eyes, folks try to throw
them in jail. In his eyes, he's in said they
will be behind the balls. I'm getting everybody he's not playing,
and so this in a lot of people's eyes. Talk
to people in the NBA, talk to people in the NFL,
talk to people in.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
The world of sports. They think this is like the
tip of the iceberg.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
These are the kind of words that are coming out
of people's mouths. It's not a surprise. It's very disheartening,
it's very concerning. We don't know where this is going
to go, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Everybody's been embraced themselves because he's coming.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Well, what Stephen A Is saying is that there's mass
gambling and mass criminality in professional sports leagues. I don't
believe that but that's the only way President Trump and
the DOJ would be coming for these organizations. Stephen. And
by the way, this investigation was done under the Biden administration.
Read the indictment. It started back in eighteen and nineteen.
(12:29):
So I think that's just steven A getting some aretime
for Steven A. And hey, he's saying a lot of
good stuff lately, but this is uh, yeah, I think
that's just for clicks three at three seven one three
eight two five five text d an five seven seven
three nine. Speaking of which, and then we'll get back
to these main topics. It's one of the most beautiful
(12:49):
fun things I've ever seen, the left losing its mind
over Trump demolishing the East Wing and putting up this
phenomenal ballroom, all with private money, because it's just going
to help how many more Americans see how nuts the
left has become, the Democratic Party has become, Because how
could anybody have a problem with this? And I don't
think anybody in America does other than the hardcore left,
(13:12):
including their media arm But it's hilarious to watch because
anybody who's been to the East Wing, I mean, you know,
you know that any place in the White House. You
could be in the garbage room at the White House
and it would be profoundly magnificent because you're in the
White House. But if you're just talking about the East Wing,
(13:34):
it's not exactly an architectural marvel, and it's not anywhere
near as functional as you need it to be. Think
about it. The White House is the center of power
in the world, the entire planet, and it's got a
ballroom smaller than this Double Tree hotel we can see
from our radio studio. That's insane. So what Trump's doing
(13:56):
is a great gift to this country. Functionally are sticklee historically,
and he's doing it all with private money. So the
left should be just saying thank you, mister Trump. May
I have another three or three seven, one, three eight,
two five five the number text d An five seven
seven three nine. I want to read from this indictment,
(14:16):
getting some tremendous text. And I got to get this
one just because I know this person isn't serious, but
they put some creativity into it. Dan. Food banks are
just so much leftist nonsense, parasites getting free food. You
should be ashamed to allow your wife to work at
one man up and stop or so I hope that
person calls the show, because I know they don't mean that.
(14:41):
And the story I was telling earlier, I tied it
to a post story where polists came out today and
asked Coloradin's to open their wallets to help people now
who need food, because it is real. The Democrats have
shut down the government. You have a lot more people
who need food. And I mentioned my wife works at
a food bank and it's just wiped out. There's nothing
left on the shelves. And she told me today they
(15:01):
had thirty forty families show up and there was no
food whatsoever on the shelves. And so you know, we
did our part to help. Where's Jared Polis there? But yeah,
so no you can. You should go to this food
bank my wife works at and just watch these families
roll in and there'll be no doubt in your mind.
(15:22):
It's very, very real. And so now she and everybody
else working there. And listen a lot of good people, Democrats, Republicans,
unaffiliated working there and they're just doing the work of angels.
Because that's as real as it gets. Feed the hungry, right,
So we'd love to talk to this texture, except I
know they're not serious about that. But I want to
(15:45):
get into this actual indictment document because so often these
actual legal documents in big, high profile cases like this
have a lot of key information in there. But here,
and I've never done this before in any of these cases,
but I can't resist. I just want to start with
the defendants, the names of the defendants. So you got
two indictments going. You got the separate one for the
(16:08):
on the court stuff in the NBA, and then you've
got the one dealing with the fraudulent poker games. And
here's the list of defendants from the fraudulent poker games.
Nelson and Alvara. Nelson Alvarez, also known as Spanish g
Lewis Apokella, also known as Lou app amar Awada, also
(16:32):
known as Flappy. What do you think that means? Flappy?
You know these nicknames? The mob types, Yeah, Black Matthew Dadino,
also known as the wrestler. That's not good, Dadina. You
can do so many things with that, and daddy on. Yeah,
the wrestler Eric Ernest also known as Spook. Thomas Gelardo,
(16:55):
also known as Juice. I like that one. Tony Goodson,
also known as Black Tony. I'm just reading the indicte man,
you should have led the show with this. Yeah, this
is awesome. Shane Hennan, also known as sugar like Oshmanhati,
also known as Albanian Bruce. You get Albanian Bruce out
(17:20):
of osman Hatti. You remind me of the guy I
once met. He was Albanians. Then Bruce, your Albanian Bruce.
It's os m A n h O t i. He
becomes Albanian Bruce. This is fantastic. This has to be
a movie. Now, all these characters cast. Then who the
h n Hu? Also known as what would you guess?
(17:43):
Something racist? And Asian? Stanley can't say in name you Stanley.
This is phenomenal. I'll come back. I'll keep reading from
the indictment. You're on the Dan Kaplis Show. You're listening
to the Dan Kaplis Show podcast. So if he did it,
(18:07):
why talking about Chauncey belluffs deep diving the indictment document itself,
and we pride ourselves in that here you're going to
get information you don't get anywhere else because we actually
dig into this stuff. So three at three someone three
eight two five five, if you want to talk d
an five seven seven three nine to text, and I'm
going to bring you into some of the key paragraphs
(18:30):
in the indictment on the fraudulent poker game scheme, and
then there's a separate indictment for the on the court
stuff in the NBA. Chauncey Billups is not part of
that second indictment, but just going through the defendants listed
in the indictment released this morning, I'll finish up that
list and then we'll get into some of the specific allegations.
(18:53):
United States of America v. Nelson Alvarez also known as
Spanish g amar Awada, also known as Flappy, Saul Becker,
Chauncey Billups, Matthew Didino also known as Maddie, and the Wrestler.
Now do you think Chauncey Billups was the wrestler in
(19:13):
that or did he just not have an aka? He
did not have an aka? Eric Ernest also known as Spook.
Thomas Gilardo also known as Juice, Tony Goodson also known
as Black Tony, Shane Hennan also known as Sugar Osmond
Hatty also known as Albanian Bruce. That's My Favorite, Horatio
(19:35):
U known as h makes sense. Zen You known as
Stanley Stanley I loved your theory on that one. Tell
people your theory on that one. They couldn't say his name,
so they just gave him one. They Danley Stanley, Stanley
Stanley Damon Jones also known as d Jones. Seems like
a lack of effort on that one.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
That's an NBA player, Damon Jones. He played with Lebron
and wasn't he coaching?
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Also correct because part of the allegations is that he was.
He was giving gamblers inside information on Lebron. Oh boy
and John Mazzola. What do you think they aka Johns
known as John South, John Mazzola, John South Wild, John
(20:24):
sut there. Now, this guy has to be embarrassed. Curtis
Meeks also known as Kurt How to even write that
in the indictment? Right? It's not great? Yeah? Anthony Sean
Schinderman known as Doc. There always has to be a Doc,
Doc Shine. Somebody gets called Doc. I've heard of him.
Robert Stroud also known as Black Rob racial references and
(20:48):
these that aren't comfortable that Tony's did that take him?
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (20:53):
I mean, Oh, a woman, oh Sophia wee w e
I what do you think her aka was Sophia Wee.
How do you spell that? Last w ei might have
been pronounced way. Kurds the only woman in the indictment?
Did you get my reference Kurds in the way? Very good,
(21:16):
little miss Muffett, very good. That was pretty good. I
would have I think that would have stuck. That would
have But Sophia Away also known as Pooky, I think
that's great. Yeah, go ahead that yeah. So anyway, let
me get into some of the specifics. So it's a
long indictment, so I just want to reach some of
the set up stuff and then some of the Chauncey
(21:38):
billups stuff. Beginning in at least twenty nineteen, the defendants
and their co conspirators engaged in a complex fraud scheme
to rig or cheat at illegal poker games in the
Eastern District of New York and throughout the United States
preenz Rig Poker scheme. The defendants and their co conspirators
carried out the rig poker scheme by manipulating certain poker
(21:59):
games at otherwise non rigged or straight illegal poker games,
including weekly poker games occurring at locations on Washington Place
and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan, New York. The Washington Place
Game and Lexington Avenue Game were on record with and
operated with the express permission and approval of members and
(22:19):
associates of certain organized crime families of La Coos and OSTRA,
who provided support and protection for the games and collected
O debts from the games in exchange for a portion
of the illegal gambling proceeds. Pair two victims of the
rigged poker scheme friends. The victims believe they were participating
in straight illegal poker games and that they were gambling
(22:41):
against other participants on equal footing. In reality, however, the
defendants and their co conspirators who constitute the remaining participants
purportedly playing in the games, worked together on cheating teams.
Collectively the cheating teams that used advanced wireless technology to
read the cards dealt in each poker hand and relay
(23:03):
that information to the defendants and co conspirators participating in
the illegal poker games. The rigged games. The defendants and
their co conspirators then bet accordingly to ensure that the
unsuspecting victims lost money. Through the rigged poker scheme, the
defendants and their co conspirators defrauded victims of millions of dollars.
(23:25):
Later in the indictment, it talks about seven point one million,
though there's a reference somewhere else to tens of millions.
And then we get to some Chauncey Billups related paragraphs
in this indictment. The rigged poker scheme is the name
of the section paragraph thirty six. On numerous occasions, certain
defendants and their co conspirators invited the victims, who were
(23:48):
often wealthy, to rigged games to attract the victims. In
some instances, well known former professional athletes participated in the
rigged poker scheme and were referred to as face cards.
The face cards were members of the cheating teams and
received a portion of the criminal proceeds in exchange for
(24:10):
their participation in the scheme. The defendants Chauncey Billups and
Damon James, both of whom are former professional basketball players,
were face cards and members of the cheating teams. Now,
before I get to some other Chauncey paragraph, why would
Chauncey Billups do that to get a cut of the
(24:35):
money that people were cheated out of. I'm not saying
the indictment's baseless. I'm asking the literal question why, if
it's true, why would he do that? I mean, he's
made over one hundred million in his career. There's plenty
of other ways to make money. How much are they
really going to take off individuals in a poker game
(24:57):
like that? Why do you think you do that?
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Well, traditional mafia run poker game. They're gonna make money
on it no matter what, no matter who plays, and
they'll just let these high rollers go about their business
and they'll bring a lot of money to the table
and they'll get a pretty good cut at the end
of the day.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
But they want a step further here to rig the game. Yeah.
How big a cut though, for Chauncey to risk prison
and to associate with the mob. I mean you're talking about, oh,
I don't know, X ray X ray poker tables where
they can use technology to read the face down cards.
You're talking about rigged you know, card shufflers.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
My sensibilities tell me Dan that we didn't get from
A to Z for Chauncey.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Just out of the gate. Mob approaches him.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
They know he's a guy that'll work with them, and
we land at he's a face card as they call him,
to bring in and he'll always win. It's rigged so
that he's on part of that winning end of it,
and he gets a taste, but of course the mob's
gonna come out way far ahead the furthest But there's
something that got him hooked into the mafia. And that's
(26:06):
the part that we don't know yet.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
I think that's the suspicion that almost everybody has is
how does he end up in that situation unless he's
somehow compromised, got compromised by them, And we don't know
if any of that's true.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Right, It's just well until it's difficult because like if
you were Chauncey's attorney right now, you wouldn't want him
really saying anything.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Right, And I haven't seen it's probably right there somewhere
a statement I know he was arraigned in court out
there today and then paragraph forty says, for example, in
furtherance of the rig poker scheme, in or around April
twenty nineteen, several of the defendants participated in rig games
in Las Vegas, Nevada, at which they defrauded victims of
at least fifty thousand. The defendants Chauncey Bhillips, Eric Ernest
(26:48):
Jamie Gillett, Robert Stroud and Sophie Way organized and participated
in these rig games using a rig shuffling machine supplied
by Stroud. But again they're talking about cheating a victim
amount of fifty thousand, which is a lot of money,
but not for Chauncey Billups, and then splitting it with
these other people. What what's missing here?
Speaker 3 (27:08):
There's a lot of parts of them. It's almost like
an ocean's.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Thirteen capa and plot. There's so many people involved.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
And the problem with that is it only takes one
squeaky wheel dam for the whole thing to go right.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
How did anybody ever think they were going to get
away with this? Which brings you back to the suspicion
of hey, was Billips forced to do this because of
some other whatever? Yeah, because it just on the face
doesn't make sense. The other thing that's striking about the
efidavit is those are the only references I've found in here,
(27:40):
and there's one other I'll get to after the break
to Chauncey Billups. So was and I underline was, I
don't know the answer, And the indictment document doesn't have
to include everything. Obviously, it's kind of a notice document.
But was his involvement limited to that one game or
series of games in April of nineteen. I mean, these
(28:00):
are unanswered questions. He's a much bigger name than Damon Jones. Yeah,
he's the biggest name for all of this.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
And in one of the accounts, the anecdotes from this,
they get these marks, who I guess had a lot
of money to lose to throw around, and they were
so star struck by Chauncey they didn't.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Mind losing to him. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it the whole thing, right,
because the starting point is before this story this morning,
virtually anybody including me who knew anything of Chauncey from
his time here, great guy, positive guy, lots of work
with kids, lots of work with charity. So if this
is true, why you're on the Dan Capler Show. And
(28:37):
now back to the Dan Kapla Show podcast. I just
saw a picture of Pooky, did you? I was reading
one of these stories. We're talking obviously about the big
indictment today of Chauncey, Billups and others in connection with
the alleged fraudulent poker games using high tech stuff to
cheat marks and allegedly using Chauncey billups to attract these
(28:57):
big money people to these rig games, and then the
step indictments of on the court stuff in the NBA.
But one of those indicted was Pooky Way not her
real name, that's an aka. But yeah, there's a picture
in one of the stories now of Billips and Pooky
at one of these poker games. Are they an item? No, no,
no suggestion of that whatsoever? Yeah, well, who does she
(29:18):
look like? Who does she resemble? Let's sing? Ho would
you describe her? Yeah, that's a great question, just like
a normal woman in or probably thirty Okay, yeah, I'm
just wondering this whole ensemble. Yeah, yeah, it's not what
you'd be picturing out of saying maybe mob movie with
(29:39):
the glittering dress and all of that. No, no, not
at all, No, not at all. Just I'll show you
the picture. But yeah, just like a you know, somebody
you might have been taking the kids to school in
the morning or something. So nothing glam or anything like that.
Danny Chauncey definitely is something dark that happened, whether it
be this or that. A lot of speculation in the
(30:00):
where the text gets yea in a pretty detailed onerous, speculation, onerous,
but yeah, thank you coming from you. That's a great condom.
First word I've ever used before you did. But it's yeah.
So many texts. Understandably, I have the same thoughts of
a guy like Chaunceyugh's done so many great things, so
(30:20):
much great stuff for kids in charity. How does he
end up in a mob rigged poker game on the
side of the bad guys unless there was some other,
as you would say, compromise. But all of that's ranked speculation.
All we have to work off at this point is
the indictment Dan Ray Chauncey Phillips. I think most men
secretly desire to be a bad boy, or maybe Chauncey
(30:43):
just no and then got free.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
A bad boy like his predecessors, Isaiah Thomas and Bill Lambert,
two of your favorite players.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
And I go back to how I started the show.
I have no idea what the true facts are here,
but just that the fundamental human truth that yeah, you
get all these people who get an awful right and
they're just looking for the next thrill and ultimate fulfillment
doesn't come from any of that stuff, right, It comes
my personal belief relationship with God and those truer virtues
(31:13):
and values, family and all that good stuff. So yeah,
but you get a lot of people who are looking
for that next rush. And is that how he got
into this? If the allegation's true, Dan, it's so clear
that wealth doesn't make you smart, and I guess vice versa,
you know. I I think one thing that's important I
(31:35):
always try to keep in mind is the distinction between
someone who's smart and someone who's wise. Right. I mean,
plenty of people with intellectual firepower who are not wise correct,
and then there are plenty of people who are smart
and wise, but then they're also human and then they
make a big mistake. Can somebody be wise but not smart? Sure?
(31:57):
I think so absolutely. I agree with them. Yeah yeah.
And if you had to choose, it's an easy choice.
I'd rather be wise, Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah absolutely because
in the end, and we all know this, we've seen
a million examples in our own lives of the people
who have a lot of virtue and character and faith
(32:18):
and they've got all the big stuff right and hey,
maybe their IQ isn't going to be a Ryan shuling
level IQ, but they got the big stuff right. Well,
I think, yeah, you can.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
You can learn smarts, whether they be book smarts or
street smarts, but you have to acquire wisdom and it
comes only over time.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
In my view, you have to want to acquire wisdom
to start with. Oh yeah, open to it, right, I
got to want to acquire it. I think some people
can acquire it pretty fast through a concentrated effort if
they want to acquire it. But then you look at
so many of these people on the left who they
have the intellectual capacity, like if you were to test them,
(32:58):
they test out real high, but they don't have the
wisdom or maybe it's you know, immorality or twisted views
that cause them to then even though they have the smarts,
you know, to do these bad things. Dan. The left
has a hard time with Trump creating the new ballroom
because he does it with true love for his country.
The left hates our country and therefore fights any kind
(33:19):
of expression the ballroom thing. I so love this story,
right because Americans across party lines looking at this say, hey,
great job, President Trump. You know, using private money, you're
going to build something great for this country, something worthy
of being part of the White House, and good on you.
And the left losing its mind over, and I think
what they're losing their mind over, which goes to part
(33:41):
of the textures point is that he's winning, he's actually accomplishing,
he's a door and he's he's creating, he's succeeding, and
it's driving the left out of their minds, which only
helps them succeed more as the left is exposed further. Ryan,
tremendous job. As always my friend. I personally cannot wait
(34:03):
until tomorrow. Hopefully everybody joins us at four o'clock tomorrow
for the Friday edition. We always keep it light. We
at least try to join us tomorrow at for Please
on the Dan Kaplis Show.
This is Dan Caplis and welcome to today's online podcast
edition of The Dan Caplis Show. Please be sure to
give us a five star rating if you'd be so kind,
and to subscribe, download and listen to the show every
single day on your favorite podcast platform.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
And why why would Chauncey Billups do it? Why would he?
If the allegations are to work with the mob to
lure people into big fixed poker games, why would he
do that? Three at three seven one, three eight two
five five the number text d an five seven, seventh,
thre or nine if you're new to this area. Chauncey
Billups has done so much good, so much charitable work.
(00:38):
He's been such a positive force in the community, not
just on the dollar side, but the energy side. So
to me, when I heard that report this morning, he
was just mind blowing. So maybe we'll get some more details.
I'm going to take you into the indictment document itself later,
and as you'll see, they don't have many specifics in
there about Chauncey Billups. But why love your thoughts on that?
(01:01):
Three oh three seOne three eight two five five textda
N five seven seventh through nine. We've continued today our
discussion because it's so important of whether a regular marijuana
user should lose their legal right to bear arms this
fundamental constitutional right. The Trump administration arguing to the Supreme
Court that they should, and so David Koppel, who's one
(01:23):
of the top two A experts in America, joined us
to talk about that. My position is legalized marijuana has
been a devastating, devastating scourge to this state and needs
to be reversed bought. Second Amendment right is fundamental, and
we should not be taking away the Second Amendment right
of an entire category of people just because they're regular
(01:46):
users of a substance that is legal at the state level.
What we need to be doing is we need to
be reversing Amendment sixty four, and then you address individual
cases right when you have individuals who you have reason
to believe are are dangerous, then you know that constitutionally
that can be addressed. But no, not stripping an entire
(02:07):
category of people. In my opinion, if you disagree or agree,
would love your thoughts on that. Interesting that we have
Jared Polus out a big lead piece in the post
by Nick Coltrane. Polus urges food bank donations, seeks ten
million in state assistants as shut down Freeze's snap benefits.
Governor Jared Polis ask Coloraden's to open their wallets Wednesday
(02:29):
to help fill the gap that will be created when
federal food assistant payments stop November one. Now, Ryan, I
did not see it in this story. Maybe it's in
other stories. Did Polus open his wallet? Did he make
a donation himself? No, I'm just asking. He may have,
for all I know, he made a million dollar donation,
but I don't see it in this story or any
(02:50):
other story that I've looked at. And Jared Polis phenomenally wealthy.
Credit to him for his prosperity. Well, well, listen, they
were great. They were tremendous entrepreneurs, his mom and dad
and just built this little greeting card company into a powerhouse.
And I admire the heck out of that, even though
I might disagree with that, probably disagree with their politics.
(03:11):
I don't know what their politics are. And then Policy
had some business ventures of his own. I don't minimize
any success he had in business himself. I just look
at what he's done to the state of Colorado, and
he's just done a ton of harm.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Well, what we do know, and I just had a
recent conversation with Congressman Jeff crank down in the fifth Congression,
and there where some of our listeners reside, Yeah, great
job that President Trump is doing his level best to
move things around in the aftermath of the shutdown and
make sure our military gets paid, certain other things get
accounted for. And there is a possibility to the story
(03:47):
that you're just mentioning there that Governor Polos could do
much of the same at the state level here now,
but it's a out.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Of his own pocket.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
No.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
Well, that's what I'm wondering though, because when the governor
steps up and says Colorado's you need to open your
w because the Democrats have shut down the government, then
the question is have you done that yourself, Governor? And
maybe he has, but it's not in this story. And
you know, one of the reasons I ask is my
wife volunteers at a food bank each week, and she
(04:18):
called me today really upset because she said, and I
hear these great stories every week from her, but she said,
they're overrun with people coming in, these families desperate coming in,
they don't have food, and the food banks out of
food because of the run on food at the food bank.
And so you know, she called and we talked about,
(04:40):
you know, what we could do. And so what's the
governor doing, like out of his own pocket? I mean,
we're blessed to make a good paycheck and be well off.
But he is very, very, very wealthy. So if he's
going to stand up and ask Coloradens to quote open
their wallets, what has he done? And again, it may
be a ton, but I think it'd be helpful to
(05:01):
know it's got a wheat ridge. We'll start with Jay.
You're on the dan Kapla show.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
Welcome Jay, dam Let's start kidding you too. Why would
he do it?
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Well?
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Yes, I look back at some of the people I've
known in my life. I know a guy who won
the lottery forty million dollars from Netherlands. Wow, before the
year was over, he was absolutely broken in debt.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
So how do you do that? I mean, I know
half of it goes to the government, right, but what
about that.
Speaker 4 (05:32):
To Vegas, Vegas, Las Vegas. Wow, he's a big rich man,
wasn't I bet you? I bet the mob kind of
owns him, must It sounds like he loves gambling, and well,
the more you got, the more you have to play with.
The more you got, the more you have to lose.
I suspect he's a big time owned by the man.
(05:56):
I think he got there because it was fun and
my mind risk I suspect very highly the Mob bones.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
And Jay interesting called many many many Texters agree with
Jay that if these allegations are true and Chauncey was fronting,
you know, fraudulent card games for the Mob, three different
New York Mob families according to the allegation, I think
fourty four, Okay, only one was missing there, and he
maybe in the most danger from the one they didn't
(06:26):
include in the specifies. Yes it was the Columbo family.
Or they're like, wait a minute, yeah, we should have
been included in this.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Along with the but non old Gambino, genoves A and Lukes.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
Yes, so I think, don't you think, Rian? That's what
most people are thinking. That's what certainly Texters are saying,
is that their theory is that Chauncey must have gotten
in in debt to the Mob and that's how he
got involved in these games. Because when you look at
the indictment itself, I'll get to it after the next break.
They don't have that many specifics in there about Chauncey
(06:58):
Billups in the indictment. They've got this one Vegas scheme
in twenty nineteen, but it's not like they have him
luring people in every other week or anything, at least
not in the indictment. One is too many, But I.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
Think you're onto something. I'm very curious to see more
details come out. Cash Hotel right now is on with
lour Ingram on Fox News. But it might have been
where he got into a sticky wicket. You're in debt
to the mob, a place you do not want to be,
as outlined on The Sopranos, even though that's fictional. But
he might have been given one of two choices, well
three choices, but two choices, I meaning he could shave points,
he could rig games. Wasn't going to do that that
(07:34):
would be completely destructive of his entire legacy and career
in basketball, or participate in these rigged poker games, which
it's bad, it's really bad. But I don't know enough
about the layers to this dand if he was maybe
compromised to a point where it would affect how he
coached the Blazers.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
And that's a big sticking point, all right, right because
once you have this allegation now that he's in bed
with the mob, if that's true, yeah, how far back
does it go and does it tie into on the
court stuff? Because right now, if you were to look
at the indictments that came down today, you'd split them.
You'd see them split into two different documents. You've got
(08:12):
one indictment document that deals with the NBA on the
court stuff. Billups is not part of that indictment. Then
you've got a separate indictment that deals with the fraudulent
poker games. Billups is part of that indictment. Is there
some crossover that is not charged at this point? Who knows, right?
But I understand why people are concerned and suspicious about that.
(08:35):
All of it heartbreaking, right because until this morning, every
impression I ever had of Chauncey Phillips was entirely positive.
And whatever bad he did here doesn't wipe out all
the good. It doesn't make all that go away, but
it just brings you back to why would he do it?
And I, again, we don't have all the facts right now,
but I bring it back to in a broader theory,
(08:58):
just this fundamental truth truth that I think what happens
to a lot of wealthy people is they find out
that all that money, it could even be billions, and
Chauncey wasn't a billionaire, it isn't going to buy them happiness.
It can make their life easier and nicer and have
a lot of nice travel, but ultimately it isn't going
(09:20):
to be that fulfillment. The fulfillment has to come somewhere else.
And I think a lot of people listening would agree
with me and our worldview that that ultimate fulfillment comes
from a relationship with God. So I think you get
an awful lot of people with an awful lot of money,
or awful lot of people don't have a lot of money,
but think, Okay, the fulfillment's going to come from this
vice or that vice, and then they're always looking for
(09:43):
the next high. They're always and I don't mean drugs necessarily,
sometimes they're always looking for the next high. They're always
looking for that next big challenge, that next big win,
and then you end up at these extremes. We know
how big of a gambler Michael Jordan was. It's a
great point. What a great point.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Well, and there are a lot of people that were
insinuating and somewhat strongly that was a big reason that
drove him out of the NBA in the mid nineties
where he disappeared and played double a baseball for a
little while.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
Yeah, but that was never proven, right, But it's it's
an interesting man and probably yeah, probably denials, not just
to even in Egypt, but it you know, it does
bring you back to you know, Jordan, then going to golf,
because that game is one of the few places now
where people who have a lot of money and want
(10:33):
to beat a lot of money can go bat a
lot of money legally on the golf course as long
as the money is staying within the foursome or hover.
Many people are involved, and I know, having been a caddy,
that those games can get a caddy where we had
some mobsters, those games can get very, very very large,
(10:54):
which was always incredibly exciting, incredibly.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Exciting, I think stressful when you're the cat, right when
you're the caddy.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
Yeah, maybe if you're the guy with the three foot
or for thirty or forty grand, it's not as exciting
three or three seven one three eight two five five
the number text d A N five seven seven three ninety.
Why do you think Chauncey did it? If he did,
you're on the Dankpla Show and now back to the
Dan Kaplas Show podcast.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
This ain't the platform for me to get into it
the way I'm going to get into it.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
But I've been saying he's coming.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
He's coming because in his eyes, folks try to throw
them in jail. In his eyes, he's in said they
will be behind the balls. I'm getting everybody he's not playing,
and so this in a lot of people's eyes. Talk
to people in the NBA, talk to people in the NFL,
talk to people in.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
The world of sports. They think this is like the
tip of the iceberg.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
These are the kind of words that are coming out
of people's mouths. It's not a surprise. It's very disheartening,
it's very concerning. We don't know where this is going
to go, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Everybody's been embraced themselves because he's coming.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
Well, what Stephen A Is saying is that there's mass
gambling and mass criminality in professional sports leagues. I don't
believe that but that's the only way President Trump and
the DOJ would be coming for these organizations. Stephen. And
by the way, this investigation was done under the Biden administration.
Read the indictment. It started back in eighteen and nineteen.
(12:29):
So I think that's just steven A getting some aretime
for Steven A. And hey, he's saying a lot of
good stuff lately, but this is uh, yeah, I think
that's just for clicks three at three seven one three
eight two five five text d an five seven seven
three nine. Speaking of which, and then we'll get back
to these main topics. It's one of the most beautiful
(12:49):
fun things I've ever seen, the left losing its mind
over Trump demolishing the East Wing and putting up this
phenomenal ballroom, all with private money, because it's just going
to help how many more Americans see how nuts the
left has become, the Democratic Party has become, Because how
could anybody have a problem with this? And I don't
think anybody in America does other than the hardcore left,
(13:12):
including their media arm But it's hilarious to watch because
anybody who's been to the East Wing, I mean, you know,
you know that any place in the White House. You
could be in the garbage room at the White House
and it would be profoundly magnificent because you're in the
White House. But if you're just talking about the East Wing,
(13:34):
it's not exactly an architectural marvel, and it's not anywhere
near as functional as you need it to be. Think
about it. The White House is the center of power
in the world, the entire planet, and it's got a
ballroom smaller than this Double Tree hotel we can see
from our radio studio. That's insane. So what Trump's doing
(13:56):
is a great gift to this country. Functionally are sticklee historically,
and he's doing it all with private money. So the
left should be just saying thank you, mister Trump. May
I have another three or three seven, one, three eight,
two five five the number text d An five seven
seven three nine. I want to read from this indictment,
(14:16):
getting some tremendous text. And I got to get this
one just because I know this person isn't serious, but
they put some creativity into it. Dan. Food banks are
just so much leftist nonsense, parasites getting free food. You
should be ashamed to allow your wife to work at
one man up and stop or so I hope that
person calls the show, because I know they don't mean that.
(14:41):
And the story I was telling earlier, I tied it
to a post story where polists came out today and
asked Coloradin's to open their wallets to help people now
who need food, because it is real. The Democrats have
shut down the government. You have a lot more people
who need food. And I mentioned my wife works at
a food bank and it's just wiped out. There's nothing
left on the shelves. And she told me today they
(15:01):
had thirty forty families show up and there was no
food whatsoever on the shelves. And so you know, we
did our part to help. Where's Jared Polis there? But yeah,
so no you can. You should go to this food
bank my wife works at and just watch these families
roll in and there'll be no doubt in your mind.
(15:22):
It's very, very real. And so now she and everybody
else working there. And listen a lot of good people, Democrats, Republicans,
unaffiliated working there and they're just doing the work of angels.
Because that's as real as it gets. Feed the hungry, right,
So we'd love to talk to this texture, except I
know they're not serious about that. But I want to
(15:45):
get into this actual indictment document because so often these
actual legal documents in big, high profile cases like this
have a lot of key information in there. But here,
and I've never done this before in any of these cases,
but I can't resist. I just want to start with
the defendants, the names of the defendants. So you got
two indictments going. You got the separate one for the
(16:08):
on the court stuff in the NBA, and then you've
got the one dealing with the fraudulent poker games. And
here's the list of defendants from the fraudulent poker games.
Nelson and Alvara. Nelson Alvarez, also known as Spanish g
Lewis Apokella, also known as Lou app amar Awada, also
(16:32):
known as Flappy. What do you think that means? Flappy?
You know these nicknames? The mob types, Yeah, Black Matthew Dadino,
also known as the wrestler. That's not good, Dadina. You
can do so many things with that, and daddy on. Yeah,
the wrestler Eric Ernest also known as Spook. Thomas Gelardo,
(16:55):
also known as Juice. I like that one. Tony Goodson,
also known as Black Tony. I'm just reading the indicte man,
you should have led the show with this. Yeah, this
is awesome. Shane Hennan, also known as sugar like Oshmanhati,
also known as Albanian Bruce. You get Albanian Bruce out
(17:20):
of osman Hatti. You remind me of the guy I
once met. He was Albanians. Then Bruce, your Albanian Bruce.
It's os m A n h O t i. He
becomes Albanian Bruce. This is fantastic. This has to be
a movie. Now, all these characters cast. Then who the
h n Hu? Also known as what would you guess?
(17:43):
Something racist? And Asian? Stanley can't say in name you Stanley.
This is phenomenal. I'll come back. I'll keep reading from
the indictment. You're on the Dan Kaplis Show. You're listening
to the Dan Kaplis Show podcast. So if he did it,
(18:07):
why talking about Chauncey belluffs deep diving the indictment document itself,
and we pride ourselves in that here you're going to
get information you don't get anywhere else because we actually
dig into this stuff. So three at three someone three
eight two five five, if you want to talk d
an five seven seven three nine to text, and I'm
going to bring you into some of the key paragraphs
(18:30):
in the indictment on the fraudulent poker game scheme, and
then there's a separate indictment for the on the court
stuff in the NBA. Chauncey Billups is not part of
that second indictment, but just going through the defendants listed
in the indictment released this morning, I'll finish up that
list and then we'll get into some of the specific allegations.
(18:53):
United States of America v. Nelson Alvarez also known as
Spanish g amar Awada, also known as Flappy, Saul Becker,
Chauncey Billups, Matthew Didino also known as Maddie, and the Wrestler.
Now do you think Chauncey Billups was the wrestler in
(19:13):
that or did he just not have an aka? He
did not have an aka? Eric Ernest also known as Spook.
Thomas Gilardo also known as Juice, Tony Goodson also known
as Black Tony, Shane Hennan also known as Sugar Osmond
Hatty also known as Albanian Bruce. That's My Favorite, Horatio
(19:35):
U known as h makes sense. Zen You known as
Stanley Stanley I loved your theory on that one. Tell
people your theory on that one. They couldn't say his name,
so they just gave him one. They Danley Stanley, Stanley
Stanley Damon Jones also known as d Jones. Seems like
a lack of effort on that one.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
That's an NBA player, Damon Jones. He played with Lebron
and wasn't he coaching?
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Also correct because part of the allegations is that he was.
He was giving gamblers inside information on Lebron. Oh boy
and John Mazzola. What do you think they aka Johns
known as John South, John Mazzola, John South Wild, John
(20:24):
sut there. Now, this guy has to be embarrassed. Curtis
Meeks also known as Kurt How to even write that
in the indictment? Right? It's not great? Yeah? Anthony Sean
Schinderman known as Doc. There always has to be a Doc,
Doc Shine. Somebody gets called Doc. I've heard of him.
Robert Stroud also known as Black Rob racial references and
(20:48):
these that aren't comfortable that Tony's did that take him?
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (20:53):
I mean, Oh, a woman, oh Sophia wee w e
I what do you think her aka was Sophia Wee.
How do you spell that? Last w ei might have
been pronounced way. Kurds the only woman in the indictment?
Did you get my reference Kurds in the way? Very good,
(21:16):
little miss Muffett, very good. That was pretty good. I
would have I think that would have stuck. That would
have But Sophia Away also known as Pooky, I think
that's great. Yeah, go ahead that yeah. So anyway, let
me get into some of the specifics. So it's a
long indictment, so I just want to reach some of
the set up stuff and then some of the Chauncey
(21:38):
billups stuff. Beginning in at least twenty nineteen, the defendants
and their co conspirators engaged in a complex fraud scheme
to rig or cheat at illegal poker games in the
Eastern District of New York and throughout the United States
preenz Rig Poker scheme. The defendants and their co conspirators
carried out the rig poker scheme by manipulating certain poker
(21:59):
games at otherwise non rigged or straight illegal poker games,
including weekly poker games occurring at locations on Washington Place
and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan, New York. The Washington Place
Game and Lexington Avenue Game were on record with and
operated with the express permission and approval of members and
(22:19):
associates of certain organized crime families of La Coos and OSTRA,
who provided support and protection for the games and collected
O debts from the games in exchange for a portion
of the illegal gambling proceeds. Pair two victims of the
rigged poker scheme friends. The victims believe they were participating
in straight illegal poker games and that they were gambling
(22:41):
against other participants on equal footing. In reality, however, the
defendants and their co conspirators who constitute the remaining participants
purportedly playing in the games, worked together on cheating teams.
Collectively the cheating teams that used advanced wireless technology to
read the cards dealt in each poker hand and relay
(23:03):
that information to the defendants and co conspirators participating in
the illegal poker games. The rigged games. The defendants and
their co conspirators then bet accordingly to ensure that the
unsuspecting victims lost money. Through the rigged poker scheme, the
defendants and their co conspirators defrauded victims of millions of dollars.
(23:25):
Later in the indictment, it talks about seven point one million,
though there's a reference somewhere else to tens of millions.
And then we get to some Chauncey Billups related paragraphs
in this indictment. The rigged poker scheme is the name
of the section paragraph thirty six. On numerous occasions, certain
defendants and their co conspirators invited the victims, who were
(23:48):
often wealthy, to rigged games to attract the victims. In
some instances, well known former professional athletes participated in the
rigged poker scheme and were referred to as face cards.
The face cards were members of the cheating teams and
received a portion of the criminal proceeds in exchange for
(24:10):
their participation in the scheme. The defendants Chauncey Billups and
Damon James, both of whom are former professional basketball players,
were face cards and members of the cheating teams. Now,
before I get to some other Chauncey paragraph, why would
Chauncey Billups do that to get a cut of the
(24:35):
money that people were cheated out of. I'm not saying
the indictment's baseless. I'm asking the literal question why, if
it's true, why would he do that? I mean, he's
made over one hundred million in his career. There's plenty
of other ways to make money. How much are they
really going to take off individuals in a poker game
(24:57):
like that? Why do you think you do that?
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Well, traditional mafia run poker game. They're gonna make money
on it no matter what, no matter who plays, and
they'll just let these high rollers go about their business
and they'll bring a lot of money to the table
and they'll get a pretty good cut at the end
of the day.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
But they want a step further here to rig the game. Yeah.
How big a cut though, for Chauncey to risk prison
and to associate with the mob. I mean you're talking about, oh,
I don't know, X ray X ray poker tables where
they can use technology to read the face down cards.
You're talking about rigged you know, card shufflers.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
My sensibilities tell me Dan that we didn't get from
A to Z for Chauncey.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
Just out of the gate. Mob approaches him.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
They know he's a guy that'll work with them, and
we land at he's a face card as they call him,
to bring in and he'll always win. It's rigged so
that he's on part of that winning end of it,
and he gets a taste, but of course the mob's
gonna come out way far ahead the furthest But there's
something that got him hooked into the mafia. And that's
(26:06):
the part that we don't know yet.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
I think that's the suspicion that almost everybody has is
how does he end up in that situation unless he's
somehow compromised, got compromised by them, And we don't know
if any of that's true.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Right, It's just well until it's difficult because like if
you were Chauncey's attorney right now, you wouldn't want him
really saying anything.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
Right, And I haven't seen it's probably right there somewhere
a statement I know he was arraigned in court out
there today and then paragraph forty says, for example, in
furtherance of the rig poker scheme, in or around April
twenty nineteen, several of the defendants participated in rig games
in Las Vegas, Nevada, at which they defrauded victims of
at least fifty thousand. The defendants Chauncey Bhillips, Eric Ernest
(26:48):
Jamie Gillett, Robert Stroud and Sophie Way organized and participated
in these rig games using a rig shuffling machine supplied
by Stroud. But again they're talking about cheating a victim
amount of fifty thousand, which is a lot of money,
but not for Chauncey Billups, and then splitting it with
these other people. What what's missing here?
Speaker 3 (27:08):
There's a lot of parts of them. It's almost like
an ocean's.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Thirteen capa and plot. There's so many people involved.
Speaker 3 (27:14):
And the problem with that is it only takes one
squeaky wheel dam for the whole thing to go right.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
How did anybody ever think they were going to get
away with this? Which brings you back to the suspicion
of hey, was Billips forced to do this because of
some other whatever? Yeah, because it just on the face
doesn't make sense. The other thing that's striking about the
efidavit is those are the only references I've found in here,
(27:40):
and there's one other I'll get to after the break
to Chauncey Billups. So was and I underline was, I
don't know the answer, And the indictment document doesn't have
to include everything. Obviously, it's kind of a notice document.
But was his involvement limited to that one game or
series of games in April of nineteen. I mean, these
(28:00):
are unanswered questions. He's a much bigger name than Damon Jones. Yeah,
he's the biggest name for all of this.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
And in one of the accounts, the anecdotes from this,
they get these marks, who I guess had a lot
of money to lose to throw around, and they were
so star struck by Chauncey they didn't.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Mind losing to him. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it the whole thing, right,
because the starting point is before this story this morning,
virtually anybody including me who knew anything of Chauncey from
his time here, great guy, positive guy, lots of work
with kids, lots of work with charity. So if this
is true, why you're on the Dan Capler Show. And
(28:37):
now back to the Dan Kapla Show podcast. I just
saw a picture of Pooky, did you? I was reading
one of these stories. We're talking obviously about the big
indictment today of Chauncey, Billups and others in connection with
the alleged fraudulent poker games using high tech stuff to
cheat marks and allegedly using Chauncey billups to attract these
(28:57):
big money people to these rig games, and then the
step indictments of on the court stuff in the NBA.
But one of those indicted was Pooky Way not her
real name, that's an aka. But yeah, there's a picture
in one of the stories now of Billips and Pooky
at one of these poker games. Are they an item? No, no,
no suggestion of that whatsoever? Yeah, well, who does she
(29:18):
look like? Who does she resemble? Let's sing? Ho would
you describe her? Yeah, that's a great question, just like
a normal woman in or probably thirty Okay, yeah, I'm
just wondering this whole ensemble. Yeah, yeah, it's not what
you'd be picturing out of saying maybe mob movie with
(29:39):
the glittering dress and all of that. No, no, not
at all, No, not at all. Just I'll show you
the picture. But yeah, just like a you know, somebody
you might have been taking the kids to school in
the morning or something. So nothing glam or anything like that.
Danny Chauncey definitely is something dark that happened, whether it
be this or that. A lot of speculation in the
(30:00):
where the text gets yea in a pretty detailed onerous, speculation, onerous,
but yeah, thank you coming from you. That's a great condom.
First word I've ever used before you did. But it's yeah.
So many texts. Understandably, I have the same thoughts of
a guy like Chaunceyugh's done so many great things, so
(30:20):
much great stuff for kids in charity. How does he
end up in a mob rigged poker game on the
side of the bad guys unless there was some other,
as you would say, compromise. But all of that's ranked speculation.
All we have to work off at this point is
the indictment Dan Ray Chauncey Phillips. I think most men
secretly desire to be a bad boy, or maybe Chauncey
(30:43):
just no and then got free.
Speaker 3 (30:46):
A bad boy like his predecessors, Isaiah Thomas and Bill Lambert,
two of your favorite players.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
And I go back to how I started the show.
I have no idea what the true facts are here,
but just that the fundamental human truth that yeah, you
get all these people who get an awful right and
they're just looking for the next thrill and ultimate fulfillment
doesn't come from any of that stuff, right, It comes
my personal belief relationship with God and those truer virtues
(31:13):
and values, family and all that good stuff. So yeah,
but you get a lot of people who are looking
for that next rush. And is that how he got
into this? If the allegation's true, Dan, it's so clear
that wealth doesn't make you smart, and I guess vice versa,
you know. I I think one thing that's important I
(31:35):
always try to keep in mind is the distinction between
someone who's smart and someone who's wise. Right. I mean,
plenty of people with intellectual firepower who are not wise correct,
and then there are plenty of people who are smart
and wise, but then they're also human and then they
make a big mistake. Can somebody be wise but not smart? Sure?
(31:57):
I think so absolutely. I agree with them. Yeah yeah.
And if you had to choose, it's an easy choice.
I'd rather be wise, Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah absolutely because
in the end, and we all know this, we've seen
a million examples in our own lives of the people
who have a lot of virtue and character and faith
(32:18):
and they've got all the big stuff right and hey,
maybe their IQ isn't going to be a Ryan shuling
level IQ, but they got the big stuff right. Well,
I think, yeah, you can.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
You can learn smarts, whether they be book smarts or
street smarts, but you have to acquire wisdom and it
comes only over time.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
In my view, you have to want to acquire wisdom
to start with. Oh yeah, open to it, right, I
got to want to acquire it. I think some people
can acquire it pretty fast through a concentrated effort if
they want to acquire it. But then you look at
so many of these people on the left who they
have the intellectual capacity, like if you were to test them,
(32:58):
they test out real high, but they don't have the
wisdom or maybe it's you know, immorality or twisted views
that cause them to then even though they have the smarts,
you know, to do these bad things. Dan. The left
has a hard time with Trump creating the new ballroom
because he does it with true love for his country.
The left hates our country and therefore fights any kind
(33:19):
of expression the ballroom thing. I so love this story,
right because Americans across party lines looking at this say, hey,
great job, President Trump. You know, using private money, you're
going to build something great for this country, something worthy
of being part of the White House, and good on you.
And the left losing its mind over, and I think
what they're losing their mind over, which goes to part
(33:41):
of the textures point is that he's winning, he's actually accomplishing,
he's a door and he's he's creating, he's succeeding, and
it's driving the left out of their minds, which only
helps them succeed more as the left is exposed further. Ryan,
tremendous job. As always my friend. I personally cannot wait
(34:03):
until tomorrow. Hopefully everybody joins us at four o'clock tomorrow
for the Friday edition. We always keep it light. We
at least try to join us tomorrow at for Please
on the Dan Kaplis Show.
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