A defendant in a federal illegal sports betting case told a judge Thursday he paid an NBA player to manipulate his performances so he could win his bets, The New York Times reports.
The attorney for NBA guard Terry Rozier disputed the idea that his client was paid to alter his play after a prosecutor clarified that Rozier was the player the defendant paid.
Key Takeaways
- Rozier has not played in an NBA game since May 2025.
- An indictment last year claimed Rozier told a friend he was going to check out of an NBA game prematurely.
- A new indictment is expected to charge Rozier with soliciting and accepting a bribe.
The defendant, Marves Fairley, revealed the information while pleading guilty to seven felony charges in two cases levied by the Department of Justice, both related to illegal sports betting.
Federal prosecutors asserted that Fairley helped pull the strings of a scheme that led to indictments for Rozier – who was said to have manipulated his performances – and former player and coach Damon Jones, who shared sensitive information about player availability.
Fairley was also accused of being involved in a match-fixing ring targeting the Chinese Basketball Association and college basketball players that resulted in the indictments of 25 men, including 20 current or former athletes.
“I agreed to pay a player to change their game performance,” Fairley said.
A lawyer for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York later said the player Fairley referenced was Rozier.
“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 in response to Fairley’s claim.
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Mounting charges
Rozier previously pleaded not guilty to two federal charges of wire fraud after he was indicted last October. He has not played in an NBA game since May 13, 2025, and was released by the Miami Heat on April 10 of this year.
Rozier’s indictment claimed that the player, a member of the Charlotte Hornets at the time of the alleged March 2023 incident, told a friend that he would remove himself from a game early, allowing bettors to cash the under on his prop bets.
The indictment went on to say that the friend sold the information to a betting group that included Fairley.
Federal prosecutors said that Rozier would soon face a new indictment for soliciting and accepting a bribe related to betting crimes. The indictment has not yet been filed, despite being expected last week.
Meanwhile, in addition to admitting he paid Rozier, Fairley copped to obtaining private information about NBA players and games and betting on behalf of active players.
He also pleaded guilty to five counts related to the college basketball point-shaving scheme and paying a Chinese Basketball Association player to help him win his bets.
Punishment for actions
Fairley is the second defendant in the betting scandal to plead guilty. Jones pleaded guilty last month.
Fairley is set to be sentenced next February. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison in six of the seven counts against him and has already agreed to pay a $676,700 penalty.
The judge presiding over Fairley’s case said that his sentences could be served consecutively, and that federal guidelines state he could receive 8-10 years in prison.
