Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty in federal court Monday to charges stemming from an investigation into illegal sports betting, according to CBS News.
Key Takeaways
- Rozier pleaded not guilty and was released on $3-million bail Monday.
- The Wall Street Journal reported in January that Rozier was under investigation for sports betting violations.
- In October, Rozier was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Rozier appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Division of New York.
During the arraignment before Magistrate Judge Clay Kaminsky, Rozier’s lawyer entered Rozier’s plea of not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Rozier was released on $3-million bail, secured by two properties, including his Florida home. His friend and fellow defendant, Deniro Laster, also pleaded not guilty Monday and was released on $50,000 bail.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google accountBoth defendants agreed to not partake in gambling, among other conditions.
Case details
Rozier had been under investigation since the beginning of the year and was formally arrested in October. Rozier’s charges stem from the period between December 2022 and March 2024. But one game in particular was a red flag for investigators.
According to the federal indictment, Rozier, while, playing for the Charlotte Hornets in 2023, told Laster he was planning to leave a March 23 game against the New Orleans Pelicans early. Laster shared the information with a network of sports bettors who placed $200,000 on the “under” Rozier prop bet. Rozier exited the contest after nine minutes, claiming an injury. Investigators claim Rozier and Laster received proceeds from those bets.
The NBA previously investigated the game in question and failed to identify any rule violations at the time. The NBA, however, put Rozier on indefinite leave after the arrest.
Heat in limbo
Rozier’s arrest creates some complications for his current NBA team. The Heat were unaware of any wrongdoing or investigations related to Rozier when they picked him up from the Hornets in 2024. Miami traded away a 2027 protected first-round pick to get Rozier, and it’s unclear if the NBA will mitigate that term of the trade. Rozier’s salary is currently accumulating in an interest-bearing account until his NBA status is resolved.
Unless Rozier is officially waived, the Heat must include his salary when calculating the luxury tax.
