Terry Rozier allegedly accepted a $70,000 bribe to exit an NBA game early, according to federal prosecutors who filed new charges this week.
The scheme centered on a March 2023 matchup between the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans, when Rozier was playing.
He’d tipped off a co-defendant, Deniro Laster, about his plan to leave the game due to a leg injury, and that information spread to underground bettors who wagered over $258,700 on the under for Rozier’s statistics.
Rozier played just nine minutes before coming out of the game, finishing with five points, four rebounds, and two assists.
Most of those bets hit, but the four rebounds caused some wagers to lose, so prosecutors say Rozier agreed to reduce his payment from $100,000 down to $70,000.
The whole operation was part of a larger federal crackdown involving 31 defendants, multiple Mafia families, and rigged poker games alongside the NBA betting scheme.
According to the New York Times, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment adding charges of sports bribery and a conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.
Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, has argued the government is overreaching with these new charges, claiming they’re just throwing different legal theories at the wall to see what sticks.
He’s maintained that the original wire fraud charges were already a stretch, and these additions don’t change the fundamental problems with the prosecution’s case.
Rozier pleaded not guilty to the original conspiracy and money laundering charges last year and continues to deny all allegations.
The case has already claimed other NBA figures. Damon Jones pleaded guilty to providing insider information about player injuries to bettors, becoming the first defendant to accept responsibility.
Marves Fairley also moved toward a guilty plea this week.
Rozier was waived by the Miami Heat in April after being sidelined the entire season, and prosecutors say he’s facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
The trial date is set for November 2, 2026, alongside Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and other defendants who’ve rejected plea deals.