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U.S. Attorney's Comical Slip-Up Amid Bombshell NBA Betting Arrests
23 Oct
Summary
- FBI investigation leads to arrests in illegal sports betting and poker schemes
- U.S. Attorney mistakenly refers to "Toronto Rangers" instead of Raptors
- Slip-up provides comedic relief amidst serious allegations
On October 23rd, 2025, federal authorities announced a series of arrests stemming from an FBI investigation into illegal sports betting and poker game schemes. The bombshell announcement, made by Joseph Nocella Jr., the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, featured the involvement of several NBA players, including Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier.
However, Nocella's announcement was marked by a comical slip-up when he referred to the "Toronto Rangers" instead of the Raptors, the NBA team based in Toronto. This gaffe, while a simple mistake, provided some much-needed levity amidst the serious allegations of illegal gambling activities.
The Toronto Rangers, of course, do not exist as an NBA team. The confusion likely arose from the fact that there are professional sports teams with the "Rangers" name, such as the Texas Rangers in Major League Baseball and the New York Rangers in the NHL. But the Toronto Rangers are not a real team that anyone can bet on, as they do not actually exist.
