Former NBA player Malik Beasley, 29, is negotiating a plea agreement with Department of Justice prosecutors over his alleged role in a bribery and betting scheme, his attorney Steve Haney confirmed Saturday. An overnight court docket notice indicated Beasley intends to plead guilty, though no deal has been signed yet. A decision is expected early this week.
Prosecutors allege Beasley deliberately manipulated his statistics in at least four games during the 2023-24 season while with the Milwaukee Bucks so gamblers could win bets on his performances. Co-defendants selected non-nationally televised games, and Beasley chose whether to underperform or overperform his scoring and rebounding. Despite earning tens of millions during his nine-year, six-team NBA career, Beasley accumulated "multimillion-dollar gambling losses" before joining the scheme.
Beasley faces federal counts including bribery in sporting contests, wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy. He initially pleaded not guilty. Late Friday, the judge requested a hearing for Beasley to change his plea. Co-defendant Ernesto Plascencia will also plead guilty, while William Brown pleaded guilty earlier this month and Robert Gorodetsky is scheduled to plead Nov. 20. Former NBA player Ed Davis and agent Paolo Zamorano have pleaded not guilty.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing