12/08/25 09:46:00
Printable Page
12/08 09:45 CST Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier to be arraigned over sports
betting scheme
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier to be arraigned over sports betting scheme
By PHILIP MARCELO
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) --- Miami Heat player Terry Rozier is set to appear Monday in a
federal court in Brooklyn on charges he helped gamblers placing bets on his
performance in NBA games.
The 31-year-old point guard will be formally arraigned in New York on federal
wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges. He'll also join five other
co-defendants and their lawyers for a pretrial 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."
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. Portland Trail Blazers coach and NBA Hall of
Famer Chauncey Billups has pleaded not guilty in a separate scheme to fix
high-stakes, Mafia-backed illegal poker games.
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.
The other NBA figure ensnared in the investigation is Damon Jones, who pleaded
not guilty last month to charges he provided sports bettors with nonpublic
information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis while
serving as an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers during the
2022-2023 season. Jones, a former NBA player, is also indicted along with
Billups and others in the separate poker scheme.
Both Billups and Rozier have been placed on unpaid leave from their teams as
their court cases play out.
Rozier has earned about $160 million over a 10-year NBA career. He was 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.
___
Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo
|
