Nine-year NBA veteran Malik Beasley has officially pleaded not guilty in Brooklyn federal court to multiple charges stemming from an alleged expansive, illegal sports-betting scheme. ESPN’s Shams Charania initially reported that the government was coordinating a voluntary surrender for Beasley. After the FBI probe into a gambling ring in the NBA was expanded, the guard opted for an immediate court appearance to fight the claims.
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The unsealed federal indictment, filed in the Eastern District of New York, alleges that Beasley accepted bribes to manipulate his on-court performance during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks. This supposedly allowed co-conspirators to profit significantly from targeted prop bets and wagers.
Beasley pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. He was with co-defendant Paolo Zamorano, an NBA player agent who also entered a plea of not guilty.
The laundry list of accusations includes wire fraud conspiracy, bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy. According to reporters, Beasley appeared relaxed during his arraignment.
NBA’s Malik Beasley and his attorney, Jason Goldman, outside court following Beasley’s federal arraignment, where he pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and bribery. After the hearing, Goldman said Beasley “looks Show more
Following the formal pleas, U.S. Magistrate Judge Taryn Merkl granted both Beasley and Zamorano $100,000 bond packages with suretors (including Beasley’s parents). The relatively low figure raised eyebrows in the gallery, considering that Beasley’s career NBA earnings are nearly $60 million. He last signed a $6 million contract with the Detroit Pistons.
The judge appeared to grant Beasley “extra points” for his cooperation, noting that he had been aware of the year-long federal investigation and chose to surrender rather than forcing an arrest.
Malik Beasley’s Bucks tenure is under scrutiny
The federal indictment charges Beasley alongside former NBA player Ed Davis, agent Paolo Zamorano, and William Brown, Robert Gorodetsky, and Ernesto Plascencia. According to federal prosecutors, most of the alleged illegal activity centered on multiple Milwaukee Bucks games in 2024. Prosecutors allege Beasley manipulated his performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, and Los Angeles Clippers.
The prosecutors allege that Beasley tipped off Davis regarding whether he intended to underperform or overperform statistically. Davis then allegedly funneled this insider information to Zamorano and other co-conspirators, who placed hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent wagers.
While the legal battle continues, Beasley’s attorney, Jason Goldman, later addressed the media, shifting the narrative to the NBA’s regulated sports betting.
“We can’t ignore that leagues and lawmakers have aggressively embraced and promoted sports gambling, normalizing an industry that has fueled widespread addiction and financial hardship,” Goldman stated. “If we are going to have an honest conversation about these issues, it cannot begin and end with individual athletes while the institutions that have profited billions, escape scrutiny.”
Beasley did not comment when asked by the media if he wanted to leave a message for his fans.
While he’s out on bail, he faces a significant logistical hurdle. Beasley must surrender his passport as a condition of his release. The court was informed that the Detroit IRS currently has the document for unconfirmed reasons.
Beasley played for Bad Bunny’s basketball team in Puerto Rico until May before being released after a slow start. While he wouldn’t have needed a passport if he still played there, he has no chance of signing with an overseas team while he’s fighting this case.
His legal team has until July 15 to coordinate a retrieval of the passport. The defendants, who face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the top counts, are scheduled to return to court for a status conference on August 6 as part of a growing federal crackdown on NBA-linked gambling rings.