12/07/25 11:21:00
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12/07 23:16 CST Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier to be arraigned in New York court
over sports betting scheme
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier to be arraigned in New York court over sports
betting scheme
By PHILIP MARCELO
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) --- Miami Heat player Terry Rozier is set to appear in a New York
court on charges he helped gamblers placing bets on his performance in NBA
games.
The 31-year-old point guard will be formally arraigned in Brooklyn federal
court late Monday on federal wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy
charges. He'll also join five other co-defendants and their lawyers for a
pre-trial hearing later in the day on the case.
Rozier previously appeared before a federal judge in Orlando on Oct. 23, when
prosecutors first announced the indictment.
At the time, he was released with conditions. One of his lawyers, Jim Trusty,
denied the charges, saying the Ohio native was "not a gambler" and "looks
forward to winning this fight."
Prosecutors say Rozier conspired with friends to help them win bets on his
performance in a March 2023 game when he played for the Charlotte Hornets.
They say he informed the bettors that he intended to leave the game against the
New Orleans Pelicans early with a supposed injury, allowing gamblers to place
wagers earning them tens of thousands of dollars.
Rozier played the first nine minutes and 36 seconds of the game before leaving,
citing a foot issue. He did not play again that season.
More than 30 people have been arrested in connection with the sprawling federal
takedown of illegal gambling operations linked to professional sports,
including several Mafia figures.
Rozier was one of three current or former NBA players ensnared in the
investigation.
Portland Trail Blazers coach and NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups was among a
number charged with participating in a scheme to fix high-stakes, Mafia-backed
illegal poker games.
Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones has also been charged in that
poker scheme, as well as the separate scheme to help gamblers win bets on NBA
games that also implicated Rozier.
Billups and Jones pleaded not guilty during their separate arraignments last
month. Both Billups and Rozier have been placed on unpaid leave from their team
as their court cases play out.
Rozier has earned about $160 million over a 10-year NBA career.
He had been a first round pick for the Boston Celtics in 2015 after starring at
the University of Louisville. Charlotte traded him to the Heat last year.
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Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo
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