Former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was indicted on new bribery charges on Thursday after federal prosecutors alleged that he accepted $100,000 to manipulate an NBA game.
Key Takeaways
- Terry Rozier was charged in a Brooklyn court on Thursday.
- The superseding indictment adds to his wire fraud and money laundering charges.
- The former NBA player’s lawyer claims his client’s innocence.
Rozier was charged in a Brooklyn court through a superseding indictment, which adds to previous federal allegations of wire fraud and money laundering. Rozier, who was arrested in October 2025 as part of an FBI takedown of multiple gambling operations, pleaded not guilty to the original charges and had attempted to have his case thrown out in December that year.
His attorney, Jim Trusty, told the Associated Press that the latest indictment “just confirms that our motion to dismiss was righteous – new charges, new theories, but all just a sad effort to make something stick.”
Rozier is still out on a $3 million bond. He was placed on leave following his arrest and missed the entire season. The Heat released Rozier at the end of this NBA season.
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The payment plan
Federal prosecutors said in April that they planned to bring new charges against Rozier, which include defrauding the NBA and the Charlotte Hornets, as well as sportsbooks FanDuel and DraftKings.
The bribery indictment came hours after bettor Marves Fairley told prosecutors that he agreed to pay Rozier and his longtime friend Deniro Laster $100,000 if Rozier left a game in March 2023 early while he was playing for the Charlotte Hornets.
Rozier removed himself from the contest with a lower leg injury. He was not on the injury report before the game. His early exit allegedly helped a group of bettors cash over $250,000 worth of under bets on his player props.
The Hornets guard scored five points, recorded two assists, and hit one 3-pointer, all below his season averages and the prop totals set for that game against the New Orleans Pelicans. However, because Rozier recorded four rebounds, going over his betting total, the co-conspirators agreed to a $70,000 payment.
Laster allegedly met Fairley to collect the bribe money in Philadelphia and then drove to Rozier’s house, where the co-conspirators counted their payment. Some of the bettors included in the scheme were also part of the Jontay Porter scandal that rocked the NBA in 2024.
Fixing games
Fairley, a social media influencer, pleaded guilty to seven charges, all related to the illegal betting scheme. Fairley allegedly helped fix games in the Chinese Basketball League, the NBA, and college basketball, a scheme that spanned nearly 40 players from 17 NCAA schools.
He admitted to paying an unnamed NBA player, who prosecutors believe is 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,” Trusty said about Fairley’s claim.
Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones was also arrested in October for his role in informing bettors of nonpublic injury information on NBA stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Jones pleaded guilty in April to betting scheme charges and for helping recruit players to a mob-run, rigged poker game, and he faces sentencing in January.
