Prosecutors Accuse Terry Rozier of $100K Bribe in Gambling Plot
NEW YORK – Federal prosecutors have filed new bribery charges against Terry Rozier, alleging the former NBA guard agreed to alter his performance in a 2023 game as part of a sports betting scheme.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:A superseding indictment filed Thursday in Brooklyn federal court added charges of bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy. Prosecutors named the NBA and the Charlotte Hornets, Rozier’s team at the time, as victims of the alleged conspiracy.
Rozier has denied participating in the scheme. His attorney, Jim Trusty, said the new indictment was an attempt by prosecutors to revise their case after the defence sought dismissal of the earlier charges.
The new filing follows earlier allegations in the gambling probe, which has widened to include former players, bettors and alleged insider information tied to basketball games.
Prosecutors Allege Bribe Linked to 2023 Game
The indictment alleges Rozier agreed to accept a $100,000 bribe to remove himself early from a March 23, 2023, game between the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans.
Prosecutors said Rozier planned to use a lingering leg injury from late in the 2022-23 season as the reason for leaving the game. The indictment claims he informed co-defendant Deniro Laster that he would exit early, and that Laster then shared the information with multiple bettors.
Those bettors allegedly placed more than $258,700 in wagers on the under for Rozier’s statistical totals, including points, rebounds and assists.
Rozier played just over nine minutes and finished with five points, four rebounds and two assists. Prosecutors said most of the wagers won, although some bets tied to his rebound total lost. The indictment alleges Rozier later agreed to reduce the bribe from $100,000 to about $70,000 because of the failed rebound bets.
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Co-Defendant Pleads Guilty
The new charges came as defendant Marves Fairley pleaded guilty to charges connected to the alleged NBA betting scheme. Fairley told a federal judge that he paid an NBA player to change his performance so he could profit from wagers. A prosecutor later clarified in court that the player referenced was Rozier.
Fairley also admitted to using non-public information to bet on NBA, NCAA and Chinese basketball games. He is scheduled for sentencing next year and agreed to pay $676,700 as part of his punishment.
Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones has also pleaded guilty in the case. Rozier was originally indicted in October on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. He pleaded not guilty and remains free on bond.
Defence Pushes Back Against Case
Rozier’s legal team has argued that the government’s case should be dismissed and that prosecutors have overreached in applying federal fraud law to the alleged betting conduct.
Trusty said the superseding indictment did not change the defence position.
“The superseding indictment just confirms that our motion to dismiss was righteous, new charges, new theories, but all just a sad effort to make something stick”, Trusty said.
Rozier was traded to the Miami Heat in January 2024 and waived by the team in April. The case has kept him off the court this season.
The allegations come amid growing scrutiny of sports betting integrity in professional and college basketball, with federal prosecutors pursuing multiple cases tied to insider information, player performance and wagering markets.
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