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Miami Heat player Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he helped gamblers bet on his performance during NBA games.
The 31-year-old point guard officially pleaded guilty during his arraignment in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, to charges of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. He was released on US$3 million bail secured by his home in Florida.
Prosecutors say Rozier conspired with friends to help them win bets on his performance in a March 2023 game while he was playing for the Charlotte Hornets.
Judge Clay Kaminsky also ordered him not to gamble, possess firearms and have any contact with victims, co-defendants and witnesses in the case. Rozier, an Ohio native, also surrendered his passport and was restricted from traveling between Florida, Ohio and New York unless approved in advance.
Rozier, dressed in a gray suit, spoke in court only to answer the judge’s “yes” or “no” questions. He and his attorney, Jim Trusty, declined to comment after the brief hearing.
Rozier was expected to join his five other co-defendants, their attorneys and prosecutors for a preliminary hearing later Monday. He previously appeared before a federal judge in Orlando on Oct. 23, when prosecutors first announced the indictment.
His lawyer then denied the accusations, saying his client was “not a player” and “was eager to win this fight.”
Christopher Raia, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, spoke Thursday after law enforcement arrested 34 people for their alleged involvement in what he described as “two separate illegal poker and sports betting schemes” with ties to mafia crime families.
More than 30 people have been arrested as part of the sweeping federal takedown of illegal gaming 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 informed bettors that he intended to leave the game against the New Orleans Pelicans early due to an alleged injury, allowing players to place bets 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 that he provided sports bettors with non-public information about the injuries of stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis while he was an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-23 season. Jones, a former NBA player, is also charged alongside Billups and others in connection with another poker scheme.
Billups and Rozier have been placed on unpaid leave from their teams while their trials proceed.
Rozier earned approximately $160 million during a 10-year NBA career. He was a first-round draft pick for the Boston Celtics in 2015 after playing at the University of Louisville. Charlotte traded him to the Heat last year.
