At the hearing in Brooklyn Federal Court this Monday, Terry Rozier's legal team originally tried to convince the judge to dismiss the charges of alleged gambling fraud, but unexpectedly received a heavy blow from the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Farrell revealed in court that investigators have obtained evidence showing that the former NBA guard not only provided insider information in the gambling scheme but also actively solicited and accepted bribes. The prosecution plans to submit two new charges of sports bribery and honest services fraud to the grand jury by mid-May. Rozier's lawyer, Jim Trasatti, admitted that the defense had originally filed the motion to dismiss based on the belief that the prosecution's legal theory was untenable, and now they need to see how the other side repairs the gaps with a supplementary indictment, but he expects the new charges to be equally scrutinized. Rozier has pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money in the initial indictment last October.
From withdrawing from the game to accepting kickbacks, the nature of the charges has been fully upgraded
The characterization of Rozier's case by the prosecution is undergoing a fundamental change. The initial indictment focused on his alleged disclosure to childhood friend Deniro Laster of his plan to withdraw early from a Hornets vs. Pelicans game in March 2023. Laster then sold this information to gamblers, who set a series of "under" bets based on Rozier's data and profited from it. At that time, the prosecution described this as an insider information leakage scheme, with Rozier and Laster sharing the profits. However, the new evidence disclosed by Farrell at Monday's hearing shows that Rozier not only provided game information but also actively solicited and accepted bribes. The prosecution will argue that Rozier's actions deprived the NBA and the Charlotte Hornets of their right to honest services, meaning Rozier has officially been upgraded from a misdemeanor-level conspirator to a felony-level core figure in corrupt transactions. Trasatti responded that these charges are based on an invalid legal theory, and the newly supplemented indictment is likely to face the same legal challenges.
From suspension salary to being cut, his career has been completely rewritten
This legal storm has had an irreversible impact on Rozier's career. After his arrest, the NBA placed him on administrative leave, and an arbitrator later ruled that he was still entitled to his salary for the season—reportedly over $26 million. However, the Miami Heat officially cut him earlier this month. Before this, he had just been traded from the Charlotte Hornets to the Heat, averaging 13.9 points per game in his NBA career, playing dozens of games for the Heat. Now thirty-two years old, Rozier has become an unrestricted free agent, with his next court appearance scheduled for June 10.
PASA official website continues to track global sports betting scandals and judicial prosecution dynamics. The Rozier case is a key link in the federal prosecutor's multi-threaded prosecution action against NBA insider trading and game manipulation networks—former NBA guard Damon Jones has agreed to plead guilty to leaking injury information in exchange for cash, while Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups has refused to plead guilty to participating in manipulating illegal poker games.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader" gambling industry news channel: https://t.me/pasa_news
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