Alleged Cheating Gear Provider in NBA Poker Case Arrested for Violating Bail
As plea deals are expected in a high-profile poker cheating case involving NBA coaches, one poker player involved in the case was arrested for allegedly violating his bail.
Curtis "Curt" Meeks of Texas is one of more than two-dozen defendants named in an October 2025 federal indictment alleging an a widespread cheating ring in underground poker games that utilized advanced technology, mob ties and pro athletes to allegedly cheat players out of millions.
The indictment alleges that Meeks, a pro boxer who has played in high-stakes poker tournaments and cash games, "supplied other defendants and their co-conspirators in the Scheme with cheating technology," which included hacked shufflers, poker chip tray analyzers and special contact lenses.
Last week, US Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky ordered Meeks' detention pending trial after finding that he had violated his home arrest conditions, according to court documents reviewed by PokerNews.
Violated Home Detention Conditions
Prosecutors say Meeks, alongside Shane "Sugar" Hennen of Pennsylvania and Robert "Black Rob" Stroud of Kentucky, were responsible for "provid(ing) cheating technology to participants in the Scheme," which allegedly spanned several years and included high-profile athletes like NBA coaches Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones.
On Feb. 27, Pretrial Services requested that the 42-year-old "be remanded into custody due to continuing bail violations."
The next week, Judge Kaminsky ordered Meeks be taken into custody, writing the he "has repeatedly violated the home detention condition of his bail release and failed to adhere to Pretrial's instructions,” including refusing to let Pretrial Services officers inspect his gun safe.
"He was previously warned by the court yet continued to violate," wrote Judge Kaminsky. "The Court concludes that he is unlikely to abide by the conditions of his release."
In an unsuccessful emergency motion to deny request for bond revocation, Meeks, on his own behalf, argued that his arrest "is not necessary to ensure court appearance or public safety."
Meeks also opposed GPS monitoring as a condition of his release, describing it as "not reasonably necessary."
"Defendant is not a flight risk and has never missed a court date," he wrote. "Defendant is a licensed boxing manager and real estate business operator whose lawful employment requires flexibility and responsiveness."
Meeks Has Poker and Criminal Backgrounds
Meeks' surname may be misleading. The Texas boxer was iced out in a cuban link chain and diamond watch when he played in a $50,000 buy-in High Roller at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP). Though he failed to cash the event, he did manage to build up a million-chip stack and eliminated poker pros like Jason Koon along the way.
"I'm sending 'em all home today," Meeks shouted at one point, according to PokerNews live reporter Kai Cocklin.
Meeks has played on high-stakes poker streams, including Bally Poker Live and Champions Poker Live. According to the tracking site Highroll Poker, Meeks is down $273,900 over seven streamed cash game sessions.
Meeks, a finalist of the 2001 national Golden Gloves championship, also has a lengthy criminal history, which was referenced in court documents in the NBA poker case. That includes a 2010 felony conviction for failure to stop and render aid after initially being charged with manslaughter in a 2008 hit-and-run case.
More recently, in 2023, Meeks was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and committing aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to prosecutors. And last month, Meeks lost an appeal of a two-year sentence for a state felony forgery conviction.
Pretrial Services noted that Meeks "is expected to begin serving a state sentence in Texas in the near future, in which case the government has stated an intention to writ him into federal custody."
According to the New York Post and Reuters, Meeks also has ties to a rigged poker game that NFL Hall of Famer Antonio Gates allegedly played in, though Gates has denied any involvement.
Meeks is charged with money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy.
There are 12 defendants in the case who are expected to take plea deals. The trial for the defendants who aren't taking plea deals is scheduled to begin in November.
