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Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering related to an illegal gambling scheme in which he allegedly participated. The 31-year-old ringleader officially pleaded guilty during his arraignment in Brooklyn federal court on Monday.
Rozier was arrested for his alleged involvement in a 2023 game in which he played less than 10 minutes, citing a foot injury. Several people placed high stakes on Rozier to perform poorly before the match, all of which won.
Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, admitted to PK Press Club Digital shortly after his client’s arrest that Rozier “told a friend” that he would pull out of a game early, which is “not a crime.” Trusty said Rozier was dealing with a “chronic injury,” but Rozier was not listed on the Charlotte Hornets’ injury report before the game.
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Miami Heat’s Terry Rozier leaves Brooklyn federal court, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
However, 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.
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.
Rozier, dressed in a gray suit, spoke in court only to answer the judge’s “yes” or “no” questions. He declined to comment afterward, but his lawyer Trusty said his client was “excited” to begin preparing his defense against the charges.
Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier (3) looks to pass against the Boston Celtics during the second half at Spectrum Center. (Nell Redmond/USA Today Sports)
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Trusty said at a later hearing with the five other defendants in the case that he would soon file a motion to dismiss the case on constitutional grounds. He also urged the judge to move forward with the case in a “expeditious” manner, saying Rozier faced “multiple levels of litigation,” including arbitration with the NBA, but U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall brushed aside those concerns, saying “arbitration with the league does not concern me.”
Hall set the next hearing in the case for March 3 after hearing prosecutors say they would soon turn over “voluminous” amounts of evidence to defense attorneys, including an initial set of 1,000 documents and more than 55 gigabytes of data.
Rozier was one of more than 30 people, along with NBA figures Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones, who were part of the FBI’s investigations into alleged illegal gambling with ties to the La Cosa Nostra crime families. Billups and Jones allegedly knowingly participated in rigged poker games, while Jones also allegedly disclosed non-public information about NBA games so that those close to him could bet with a competitive advantage.
Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier and Damon Jones were arrested in October. (Jaime Valdez/Imagn Images, Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Billups and Rozier have been placed on unpaid leave from their teams while their trials proceed.
