In a shocking turn of events, former NBA player Terry Rozier has been accused of accepting a $100,000 bribe to leave a game prematurely as part of a betting conspiracy, according to a recent indictment by federal prosecutors. The filing, made public by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York on Thursday, implicates the ex-Hornets and Heat guard in a gambling scheme during the 2023 NBA season.
The indictment claims that Rozier conspired with Deniro Laster, informing him that he would exit the Hornets’ game against the Pelicans on March 23, 2023, during the first quarter. Laster allegedly relayed this insider information to bettors, facilitating the scheme.
Rozier now faces charges of bribery in sports contests and conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, adding a new layer of controversy to his career.
The NBA and the Charlotte Hornets have been identified as the victims in this case, while Rozier has adamantly denied any involvement in the illicit betting activities.
Prosecutors argue that Rozier used a legitimate leg injury, which hampered him during the latter part of the 2022-23 season, as a pretext to withdraw from the game. In return, he allegedly stood to gain $100,000, while wagers exceeding $258,700 were placed on the underperformance of Rozier’s stats for that matchup.
Rozier played a little more than nine minutes before he exited the game, finishing with five points, four rebounds and two assists.
The indictment indicated that he took a smaller bribe of $70,000 since the four rebounds he pulled down during the 2023 game caused some bets to lose, according to ESPN.
The new indictment came on the same day that Marves Fairley pleaded guilty to charges connected to the conspiracy, and alleged that he had paid Rozier as part of the scheme.
“I agreed to pay a player to change their game performance,” Fairley said in the Brooklyn federal courthouse on Thursday, per The Athletic.
Rozier was one of six individuals indicted last year on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering charges in the NBA-related investigation.