Rozier pleads not guilty to sports betting charges

NEW YORK — Miami Heat player Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges that he helped gamblers placing bets on his performance in NBA games.

The 31-year-old point guard formally entered the plea during his arraignment in federal court in Brooklyn on wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges, and was released on a $3 million bond secured by his home in Florida and another property. Prosecutors say Rozier conspired with friends to help them win bets on his performance in a March 2023 game when he played for the Charlotte Hornets.

He was also instructed not to gamble, have firearms or to have any contact with victims, co-defendants and witnesses in the case. Rozier, who's from Ohio, additionally surrendered his passport and was restricted to traveling between Florida, Ohio and New York, unless granted prior approval.

Rozier, wearing a gray suit, didn't speak in court other than to answer the judge's "yes" or "no" questions.

He declined to comment afterward, but his lawyer, James Trusty, said his client was "excited" to begin mounting his defense against the charges.

Trusty said later, at a hearing with the five other defendants in the case, that he would soon be filing a motion to dismiss the case based on constitutional grounds.

He also urged the judge to proceed with the case in a "speedy "manner, saying Rozier is dealing with "multiple layers of litigation", including arbitration with the NBA.

But US District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall brushed those concerns aside, saying "arbitration with the league is of no concern for me".

She set the next hearing in the case for March 3 after hearing from prosecutors that they would soon be handing over "voluminous "amounts of evidence to defense lawyers, including an initial set of 1,000 documents and more than 55 gigabytes of data.

More than 30 people have been arrested in the sprawling federal takedown of illegal gambling operations linked to professional sports, including several Mafia figures. Portland Trail Blazers coach and NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups has pleaded not guilty to a separate scheme to fix high-stakes, Mafia-backed illegal poker games.

Prosecutors say Rozier informed the bettors that he intended to leave the game against the New Orleans Pelicans early with a supposed injury, allowing gamblers to place wagers earning them tens of thousands of dollars.

Rozier played the first nine minutes and 36 seconds of the game before leaving, citing a foot issue. He did not play again that season.

The other NBA figure ensnared in the investigation is Damon Jones, who pleaded not guilty last month to charges that he provided sports bettors with nonpublic information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis while serving as an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-23 season. Jones, a former NBA player, is also indicted along with Billups and others in the separate poker scheme.

Both Billups and Rozier have been placed on unpaid leave from their teams as their court cases play out.

Rozier has earned about $160 million over a 10-year NBA career. He was a first-round pick for the Boston Celtics in 2015 after starring at the University of Louisville. Charlotte traded him to the Heat last year.

Agencies Via Xinhua