Terry Rozier took a bribe of around $100,000 to pull himself out of a game so that gamblers could cash in on his exit, prosecutors alleged as they hit the NBA star with new charges.
The ex-Celtics, Hornets and Heat star was originally charged in October as part of a bombshell investigation into an alleged NBA gambling scheme.
He was accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering for allegedly aiding a group of mafia-linked gamblers to make wagers on non-public injury information during his time with the Charlotte Hornets. He denies any wrongdoing.
Now, in a superseding indictment, Rozier has been hit with two new felony charges. He is accused ofsports bribery and honest services fraud.
According to prosecutors, Rozier had been playing through a leg injury but then used that issue as an excuse to leave a game between the Hornets and the Pelicans on March 23, 2023.
The indictment claims he told his friend, Deniro Laster, that he would exit the game during the first quarter. Laster then reportedly shared the information with gamblers.
Terry Rozier took a bribe of around $100,000 to pull himself out of a game, prosecutors claim
The allegations against the ex-Celtics, Hornets and Heat star came in a new indictment
Rozier’s attorney denied the fresh allegations, which were made by a defendant on Thursday.
‘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,’ Jim Trusty, Rozier’s lawyer, said.
Trusty added: ‘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.’
Against the Pelicans on March 23, 2023, Rozier played just 10 minutes, registering five points and four rebounds. It’s said gamblers placed bets on the ‘under’ for a variety of prop bets related to Rozier’s performance.
Marves Fairley claimed on Thursday he paid an NBA player to alter his performance so he could bet on him. Fairley also pleaded guilty to seven felony counts in two separate cases.
According to federal prosecutors, Fairley was one of the orchestrators of the NBA betting case, which led to a string of arrests last year. Rozier and Damon Jones, an NBA veteran, were among those charged.
‘I agreed to pay a player to change their game performance,’ Fairley told a judge on Thursday. A lawyer US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York later confirmed in court that Rozier was the player in question.
The 32-year-old previously pleaded not guilty to two charges of wire fraud related to the original indictment.
Marves Fairley pleaded guilty on Thursday to two counts tied to the NBA gambling case
He was accused of telling childhood friend Laster that he planned to remove himself early from the Hornets-Pelicans game on March 23, 2023, thereby guaranteeing specific gambling outcomes. Laster allegedly sold that information to gamblers, including Fairley.
Jones, meanwhile, became the first defendant to plead guilty in relation to investigations into NBA gambling and poker games.
He last month admitted two charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. One was tied to his role in an illegal NBA betting scheme and the other was for taking part in a rigged poker game ring.
Jones and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups were both accused of playing in rigged poker games organized by mafia figures and aimed at taking millions of dollars from unsuspecting players.
Billups, who has remained on leave as his Trail Blazers have advanced to the postseason, has pleaded not guilty in that case.
