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The lawyer representing Miami Heat Player Terry Rozier accused the FBI of seeking “misplaced glory” after the NBA player’s arrest Thursday as part of a wide-ranging investigation into an alleged illegal sports betting operation.
Rozier, immediately placed on leave by the NBA following the indictments, was among more than 30 people arrested in connection with two FBI investigations into illegal sports betting and suspected rigged poker games with alleged ties to New York-based crime families.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier leaves the U.S. federal courthouse through a side door after his arraignment Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Rozier was not named in the second indictment.
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The NBA player appeared in court Thursday and faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. An attorney for Rozier released a statement saying his client “is not a player” and had already been cleared by the NBA. He also criticized the FBI for not allowing Rozier to “surrender” despite a seemingly open line of communication.
“They characterized Terry as a subject, not a target, but at 6 a.m. this morning they called me to tell me FBI officers were trying to arrest him at a hotel. It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to surrender, they opted for a photo op,” attorney Jim Trusty said in a statement via The Athletic.
“They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a criminal walk. That says a lot about the motivations for this case. They seem to be taking the word of spectacularly unbelievable sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing.”
Jim Trusty, center, attorney representing Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, speaks with reporters after leaving the U.S. federal courthouse following Rozier’s arraignment Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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Rozier is accused of voluntarily leaving a 2023 game earlyciting injury so that co-conspirators could allegedly bet on his “under” side bets. It was initially reported in January that Rozier was under investigation for involvement in a March 23, 2023 match.
Rozier allegedly told a childhood friend, Deniro Laster, that he would pull out of a match early, citing injury so Laster could place bets based on that information. Neither Hornets officials nor the betting companies were informed of Rozier’s plan, according to the indictment, and Rozier was not listed on the team’s injury report.
Laster then allegedly sold this information to other co-conspirators, and numerous people placed bets totaling approximately $200,000 on Rozier’s “slot” bets to hit both parlay and straight bets. After Rozier played only nine minutes and never returned, the bets were won. Rozier and Laster counted the cash winnings at Rozier’s Charlotte home about a week later, the indictment says.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier gets into a limousine after leaving the federal courthouse through a side door following his arraignment Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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Trusty doubled down on his statement in court Thursday, saying the initial investigation cleared Rozier of any wrongdoing.
“What I can tell you is that there are a lot of people who are being very tight-lipped about what happened in 2023. But what I was told is that there was an investigation. They questioned him twice. They took his phone, downloaded everything and, in the end, they said there was nothing to see here and cleared him.”
Trusty said “FBI agents” were part of that investigation, which he described as the “real deal.”
“They looked at the same things…and they said there’s nothing here, but you know, we have a trophy hunt, so we’re going to fight.”
