Terry Rozier Accused Of Taking $100K Bribe To Leave NBA Game Early - Page 7

At this point in the NBA (post) season, players are either stuck in the deep playoff grind or enjoying the offseason in Cancun.

But that doesn’t include Terry Rozier, who’s fighting a sports gambling fraud case and just got hit with two new charges. The forced free agent can now add charges of bribery in sporting contests, honest services wire fraud, and conspiracy to his alleged wrongdoings.

A new indictment reveals exactly what Rozier’s being accused of, including during a March 23, 2023, game against the New Orleans Pelicans when he used a leg injury (that he actually had) as an excuse to check out of a game early. He finished with five points, four rebounds, and two assists in nine minutes.

Under the scheme, he was reportedly to receive $100,000, while his gamblers placed wagers of more than $258,700 on the under. But he didn’t actually receive the agreed-upon 100,000; instead, he received only $70,000 because he racked up more rebounds than expected. 

The new indictment includes the Charlotte Hornets, the team Rozier was playing for at the time, as well as the NBA.

Rozier has maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty in December, when his lawyer, Jim Trusty of Ifrah Law, initially tried to get the case dismissed. But now, Trusty laments that the government is bringing more charges against him.

“The superseding indictment just confirms that our motion to dismiss was righteous — new charges, new theories, but all just a sad effort to make something stick,” Trusty told ESPN.

Rozier was first arrested when the bombshell scandal erupted in October. He was one of six named in the case, including former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones, who pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for sports betting and rigged poker games.

Rozier got his start with the Boston Celtics in 2015, where he played until 2019, when he was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, and later joined the Miami Heat in 2024. The Heat put him on indefinite unpaid leave soon after his arrest, and he was waived on April 10.

See social media’s reaction to the new charges below.