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Miami Heat player Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he helped gamblers bet on his performance in NBA games.
The 31-year-old point guard formally pleaded guilty during his arraignment in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on wire fraud and money laundering charges and was released on $3 million bail secured by his Florida home.
Prosecutors allege 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.
Magistrate Judge Clay Kaminski also ordered him not to gamble, not to possess firearms and not to have any contact with the victims, co-defendants or witnesses in the case. Rozier, originally from Ohio, also surrendered his passport and was prohibited from traveling between Florida, Ohio and New York without prior permission.
Rozier, dressed in a gray suit, did not speak in court other than to answer yes or no questions from the judge. He and his lawyer, Jim Trusty, declined to comment after the short hearing.
Rozier was expected to join five other defendants, their lawyers and prosecutors at 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 denied the allegations at the time, saying his client was “not a player” and “hopes to win this fight.”
Christopher Raia, deputy director in charge of the FBI's New York office, spoke Thursday after law enforcement arrested 34 people on suspicion of involvement in what he called “two separate illegal poker and sports betting schemes” linked to Mafia crime families.
More than 30 people have been arrested in a sweeping federal crackdown on illegal gambling 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 illegal, high-stakes mob-backed poker games.
Prosecutors allege Rozier told bettors that he intended to leave a game against the New Orleans Pelicans early due to a suspected injury, allowing bettors to place bets that netted them tens of thousands of dollars.
Rozier played the first nine minutes and 36 seconds of the game before leaving, citing a leg problem. He did not play again that season.
Another NBA player named in the investigation is Damon Jones, who last month pleaded not guilty to charges that he provided sports bettors with non-public information about the injuries of stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis while working as an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-23 season. Jones, a former NBA player, is also charged along with Billups and others in a separate poker scheme.
Both Billups and Rozier have been placed on unpaid leave from their respective teams as they face legal cases.
Rozier earned approximately $160 million during his 10-year NBA career. He was a first-round pick of the Boston Celtics in 2015 after starring at the University of Louisville. Charlotte traded him to the Heat last year.
