Pro Boxer Bilked NBA Players for $6.5 Million in Rigged Dice Games: Feds

  • Boxer allegedly cheated NBA stars out of $6.5 million in rigged dice games
  • Crime boss Eugene Henley Jr. reportedly extorted celebrities under a protection racket scheme
  • Informant claims Henley ordered attack on boxer for crossing his enterprise

A professional boxer cheated two NBA stars out of $6.5 million in a rigged dice game, according to a cooperating witness in a federal murder case.

NBA All-Star Fraud, Eugene Henley Jr., Los Angeles Rigged Dice, Adrien Broner Allegations, Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips
A pro boxer is accused of engineering a $6.5M scam on NBA players with rigged dice games in court documents linked to the case against Eugene Henley Jr., aka “Big U,” alleged leader of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips. (Image: Shutterstock)

The boxer, identified in court documents only as “A.B.,” allegedly bilked “a current NBA All-Star” out of $1.5 million and “a former NBA All-Star” out of $5 million in a high-stakes game held in Los Angeles in June 2019.

The allegations came to light in the criminal case against Eugene Henley Jr., aka “Big U,” an alleged leader of the Rollin’ 60s Neighborhood Crips in South Los Angeles, who was arrested last week.

Federal prosecutors claim Henley ran a “mafia-like” criminal enterprise involving murder, human trafficking, and extortion. At the same time, he portrayed himself as an anti-gang activist and entertainment entrepreneur who ran his own record label, Uneek Music.

Rapper Murdered?

Prosecutors argue there’s probable cause to believe Henley killed Rayshawn Williams, an aspiring rapper signed to his label, after Williams recorded a diss track that insulted Henley.

Such was Henley’s influence in Los Angeles that rap artists, athletes, and other notable visitors to the city were required to “check in” with the gang boss and pay a fee, according to an FBI informant, referred to in court documents as “CW-1.”

This was essentially a kind of protection racket for celebrities, who would pay Henley for “protection and approval,” ensuring their safety at games, parties, and even advertising shoots, according to CW-1.

Failure to follow these rules meant they could “face retaliation from the Big U Enterprise,” per court filings.

Dice Game Crossed the Line

A.B reportedly crossed Henley by running his dice game, according to CW-1, because Big U would have expected to be informed in advance of the star-studded, high-stakes con.

Henley ordered his Rollin’ 60s goons to “rough up” A.B. and to retrieve the money on behalf of the cheated NBA players, according to federal prosecutors.

Former four-division world champion Adrien Broner told the 2cool2Blog last year that he won “millions” from Los Angeles Clippers star John Wall playing “dice and cards.”

In a 2019 video shot by Broner of himself winning at dice that was posted to his social media accounts, an associate mentions the boxer won more than $1 million gambling in just 30 days.

Despite Broner being named overtly by some media outlets, there’s no evidence to suggest that A.B. is Adrien Broner beyond the purely circumstantial, and court documents don’t confirm his identity.

Philip Conneller
Philip Conneller Senior Reporter

In Philip Conneller’s eight years with Casino.org, he has covered the gaming industry from Las Vegas to Macau and everything in between. He currently focuses his coverage on gaming law, white-collar crime, global money laundering, tribal gaming, politics, and regulation.

Philip was the original features editor for poker’s Bluff Magazine and editor for Bluff Europe, which he helped launch. His writing has also been featured in ESPN, Forbes, Time Out, The Sun, and The Daily Star, as well as iGaming Business, eGaming Review, and numerous other industry news and tech websites.

His news stories for Casino.org/news have been linked by The Washington Post, The Daily Mail, People Magazine, and Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show, among many others.

Philip once won $20,000 with 7-2 off-suit. He has been reprimanded for unwittingly playing Elton John’s piano on two separate occasions on both sides of the Atlantic.

He became a writer because he is a lousy pianist.

Philip lives outside London with his wife and children, where he spends his time agonizing about Arsenal FC.

Contact Philip at philip.conneller@casino.org.

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