Antonio Gates allegedly hosted and played in a rigged Miami poker game, according to a new report.
Sports investigative journalist Pablo Torre reported on Sunday that the Hall of Fame tight end hosted and participated in an allegedly rigged game that was organized by Curtis Meeks, who was indicted by federal prosecutors as part of the massive gambling scandal that rocked the NBA.
Details were limited, but Torre’s report follows a report by The Post on Saturday, where one purported victim said that he and his friends had been scammed of nearly $1 million, with an ex-NFL player serving as the “face card” for a game in which Meeks was a main participant.
Antonio Gates speaking at his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Aaron Josefczyk/UPI/Shutterstock
The federal indictment that was unsealed last week named more than 30 people and painted a picture of separate elaborate sports betting and rigged poker game schemes that involved Trail Blazers head coach Chauncy Billups, Heat guard Terry Rozier and former NBA player Damon Jones.
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Federal prosecutors alleged that Billups had been involved as a “face card” for the rigged poker games, with mob-linked organizers using him to lure “fish” into the high-tech scheme.
Gates has not publicly commented on the report and it’s unclear if his alleged involvement is related to the rigged poker scheme that federal prosecutors had been probing.
Follow The Post’s latest on the gambling scandal rocking the NBA:
The source that spoke with The Post could not say if the game he played in was part of the same poker ring, but he said Meeks was participating in the game that they were playing in and noted that “we would never have been there if not for the professional athlete.”
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The person did not name the athlete in The Post’s report.
The FBI has arrested 31 people involved in a rigged poker game ring backed by the New York City organized crime families.
Ernest Aiello — reputed Bonanno mobster
Nelson “Spanish G” Alvarez
Louis “Lou Ap” Apicella
Ammar “Flapper Poker” Awawdeh
Saul Becher — professional poker player
Chauncey Billups — Portland Trail Blazers coach, NBA Hall of Famer and 2004 NBA champion
Matthew “The Wrestler” Daddino
Eric “Spooky” Earnest
Lee Fama — professional poker player
John Gallo
Marco Garzon
Thomas “Tommy Juice” Gelardo — reputed Lucchese mobster charged in 2013 for beating porn star girlfriend
Jamie Gilet
Tony “Black Tony” Goodson
Kenny Han
Shane “Sugar” Henne
Osman “Albanian Bruce” Hoti
Horatio Hu
Zhen “Scruli” Hu
Damon “Dee Jones” Jones — NBA player from 1998 to 2009
Joseph Lanni
John “John South” Mazzola
Curtis Meeks
Nicholas Minucci
Michael Renzulli
Anthony Ruggiero Jr.
Anthony “Doc” Shnayderman
Robert “Black Rob” Stroud
Seth Trustman
Sophia “Pookie” Wei
Julius Ziliani
The federal indictment sent shockwaves through the sports world and the idea that athletes from outside the NBA could be involved is sure to shake things up even more.
Gates was just inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August after spending his entire career with the Chargers.
San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates reacts after a reception against the Houston Texans during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Sept. 9, 2013. AP
In 16 seasons in the NFL, Gates recorded 11,841 receiving yards and 116 receiving touchdowns.
NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – A police pursuit that began in Broward County ended with a bailout, a tense neighborhood search and at least two detained in a Northwest Miami-Dade residential area.
Deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and others with tactical gear that read “Sheriff Gang Task Force” descended on a home near Northwest 99th Street and Second Avenue on Thursday night.
According to MDSO, a suspect bailed out of a corvette that had been involved in a pursuit.
The subject, who deputies said does not live in the home, was taken into custody after officers surrounded the property.
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According to BSO, deputies were conducting a proactive investigation when the subject’s vehicle drove south into Miami-Dade. BSO’s avaition unit responded and a be on the lookout was issued. The vehicle was located in the Northwest Miami-Dade area.
As the subject was being led away in handcuffs, 7News asked him what he was running from and what he had done. The subject did not respond.
Just steps away from where he was detained, a Corvette sat in the middle of the roadway with its doors open. Deputies said they were pursuing that vehicle before it was parked and bailed from.
7News cameras captured deputies recovering a backpack from the scene as investigators continued searching the vehicle well into the night.
Soon after, a second person was placed in handcuffs and into an MDSO cruiser.
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No official arrests have been made as of late Thursday night, according to BSO.
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Two men accused of using fake credentials during the Brazil and Scotland World Cup match at Miami Stadium were arrested, deputies said.
Stanthony Ballard, 43, and Kareem Thomas, 38, are both facing several charges, including uttering forged instruments and trespassing a sport/entertainment event and soliciting.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, on Wednesday, deputies responded to a request to check for fraudulent credentials at section 135 at Miami Stadium, which was filled with approximately 65,000 fans in attendance.
When deputies arrived at the section, four witnesses stated that they had been led into the stadium by the two men in exchange for $1,000 each.
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When the two men were asked to show their credentials, they showed fake credentials to a different sporting event, deputies said.
Court records show this isn’t Thomas’ first run-in with the law at a major South Florida event. He has an open case for allegedly selling Ultra Music Festival tickets back in 2017.
Both men were two of the seven ejections at Miami Stadium on Wednesday. They were taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Thomas’ bond was set to $3,500, and Ballard’s bond was set to $5,000.
NBC6 has reached out to FIFA and the stadium for comment.
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