Terry Rozier, the former Miami Heat guard, is now facing multiple new charges from federal prosecutors in association with bribery in a sporting contest and a wire fraud conspiracy.
According to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, the federal prosecutors now claim that Rozier accepted a $100,000 bribe in 2023 while he was playing for the Charlotte Hornets from a sports gambler to take himself out of a game early so that all the “under” bettors against his name win their respective bets.
“The allegations come in an indictment filed Thursday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The indictment claims that Rozier conspired with a group of gamblers, including Marves Fairley, to use nonpublic information to help them win. Prosecutors said that Rozier has been playing despite a lower leg injury, but used that as an excuse to exit a game early.”
“Ultimately, the indictment said, he told a friend, Deniro Laster, that he would leave the March 23, 2023, Hornets game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first quarter. Laster then reportedly shared that information with the gamblers.”
“Fairley pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts in the NBA gambling case and said he paid an NBA player to limit his performance. A federal prosecutor then clarified in court that Rozier was that player,” wrote Vorkunov in his latest report.
“I agreed to pay a player to change their game performance,” Fairley reportedly said. Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, denied the claims. Rozier pleaded not guilty to the original charges filed in October.
“There are some desperate men in this case with terrible criminal records and tons of exposure, and they know what to say to please these prosecutors,” Trusty said.
“The new indictment confirms that our motion to dismiss was a good one — it’s just new charges and new theories trotted out in the hope that something sticks,” he further added.
Following the approval of a superseding indictment by a grand jury in Brooklyn federal court on Thursday, Rozier was charged with two additional felonies. In addition to the two wire fraud charges he has been facing since October, he is now accused of sports bribery and honest services fraud.
According to the prosecution, Rozier deliberately informed Laster that he would leave the Hornets game early so that Laster and others could place bets. Laster then apparently texted Fairley and another defendant, Shane Hennen, to confirm the plan after giving them this information.
Rozier scored five points in just 9:34 of action. He had been scoring over 21 points per game and playing 35 minutes on average. He did not play again after leaving with 2:26 left in the first quarter.
The 32-year-old guard last played for the Miami Heat before he was arrested in October and waived in April this year. At this point, beyond Damon Jones, all parties associated with the league have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Chauncey Billups also found himself named in connection with the betting scandal that the FBI was intending to uncover. The date for the trials has not been set yet. It will be interesting to see what evidence comes up in court that could potentially determine the direction in which Rozier’s career is headed, depending on the merits of the case.
