Terry Rozier’s attorney filed a motion earlier this month to have federal gambling charges dismissed, according to The Athletic.
Key Takeaways
- The lawyer claims Rozier's alleged actions wouldn't have violated federal law.
- The attorney says bettors violated sportsbooks’ terms of use, which would be a state law violation.
- The Miami Heat guard faces wire fraud and money laundering charges from the alleged gambling scheme.
The Miami Heat guard was arrested in October and charged with wire fraud and money laundering after he allegedly provided information to a friend that helped the individual make hundreds of thousands of dollars betting on Rozier’s under player props at U.S. sportsbooks.
In the dismissal request to a federal judge that was publicly revealed Tuesday, Rozier’s legal team claims the 2023 Supreme Court decision in Ciminelli v. the United States limits federal fraud protections, which takes away the Department of Justice’s ability to charge the player, who allegedly manipulated his performance during a 2023 game.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account
State laws violation
The call for dismissal is built around the Supreme Court’s ruling that not disclosing economic information that could help make economic decisions isn’t a crime, meaning Rozier and the bettor didn’t violate federal law. Instead, the attorney’s reasoning leads to a violation of state laws, which could hurt the DOJ’s case against him, based on the federal judge’s interpretation.
“The government has billed this case as involving ‘insider betting’ and ‘rigging’ professional basketball games, but the indictment alleges something less headline-worthy: that some bettors broke certain sportsbooks’ terms of use against wagering based on non-public information and ‘straw betting,’” Jim Trusty, Rozier’s attorney, wrote. “The government charged Terry Rozier because, allegedly, the sportsbooks completed wagering transactions they otherwise might not have honored. This theory of fraud has repeatedly been rejected and should be rejected again in this case.”
Case at hand
Rozier pleaded not guilty earlier this month and was released on a $3-million bond, using his mansion as collateral. Rozier’s name came up several times as part of an emerging NBA scandal following the Jontay Porter scheme, but the league couldn’t find any wrongdoing.
The indictment claims he informed friend and bettor Deniro Laster that he would remove himself from a game early with a fake injury. Laster then allegedly wagered $200,000 on Rozier’s player props, and the two met at Rozier’s home to divvy the winnings. Laster also sold the information to a larger group of bettors.
The sportsbooks were listed as “victims” in the indictment created by federal prosecutors with help from the FBI and other law enforcement organizations. The case was part of a crackdown that included a separate case involving Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and rigged poker games.
