State gaming regulators confirmed news reports that former NBA star Charles Oakley was arrested Sunday night at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on suspected cheating charges.
He was booked into and later released by the Clark County Detention Center.
Oakley, a resident of Cleveland, was charged with one count of committing or attempting to commit a fraudulent act in a gaming establishment, according to a statement from the Nevada Gaming Control board. Oakley was suspected of adding to or reducing his wager on a gambling game after the outcome was known.
He was arrested by gaming agents. The agency did not comment beyond the brief statement.
The incident was first reported by TMZ.
The felony count carries between one and six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Oakley played for the New York Knicks from 1988-98, helping the team reach the NBA Finals.
A source close to Oakley, who is the head coach of the Killer 3’s in the BIG3 basketball league – co-founded by rap star Ice Cube – told TMZ it’s “an insignificant matter that will be quickly resolved.”
A Cosmopolitan spokeswoman told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Thursday the company respects the privacy and anonymity of its guests.
“In the event that this is compromised, we take the appropriate action. Given the news reports of Charles Oakley, we have no details with regards to any alleged activity and will not comment on our guests’ experience.”
Oakley has had a strained relationship with his former New York Knicks team over the last few years because of his criticism of the organization
Last year, he was escorted from his seats at Madison Square Garden and arrested after an altercation near team owner James Dolan. He was cleared of the misdemeanor assault charges in February. Oakley filed a lawsuit against Dolan alleging that he was the one assaulted.
