NBA standout Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty Wednesday to new charges of sports bribery and honest services wire fraud conspiracy stemming from his role in a massive sports betting scheme.
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Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn alleged that Mr. Rozier solicited and accepted a $100,000 bribe in exchange for informing a group of bettors of his plans to leave the game early due to an injury.
Rozier plays for the Charlotte Hornets and played just 9 1/2 minutes in a game in New Orleans on March 23, 2023, before being ejected with a suspected injury.
He scored over 21 points per game in the 2022-23 season, but only scored five points that night in the Big Easy.
Mr. Rozier appeared relaxed in a gray suit before Judge Lara K. Eshkenazi in Brooklyn.
According to the superseding indictment, the veteran guard created a “prescribed bribe arrangement” with other co-defendants, including Marveth Fairey and De Niro Luster, to withdraw from matches and place lucrative bets.
Prosecutors said Rozier’s bribe was reduced to $70,000 because he played better than expected and grabbed four rebounds in the game.
Federal prosecutors also allege in the new indictment that Rozier deprived the NBA and the Hornets of “Rozier’s intangible right to honest and loyal service through bribes and kickbacks.”
Co-defendant Laster wore a white button-down shirt and faced forward for much of the court appearance. On Wednesday, he also pleaded not guilty to bribery-related charges.
Co-defendant Shane Hennen was scheduled to appear in court later Wednesday.
Rozier already faces two federal charges, one for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one for conspiracy to commit money laundering, from the first indictment filed last year. Rozier was accused of leaking nonpublic information about plans to underperform in the 2023 game.
Prosecutors said the fraudulent bets netted bettors tens of thousands of dollars in profits.
Rozier pleaded not guilty to the first charge last year. In December, Rozier asked for the case to be dismissed, arguing that the government went too far in charging him with fraud.
The judge assigned to the case has not yet ruled on Rozier’s request to dismiss the case.
Last year, federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York brought two large-scale illegal gambling cases. One involves Mafia-backed cheating in poker games, and the other involves the use of insider information to bet on NBA games.
According to prosecutors, the two criminal acts collectively generated more than $10 million in ill-gotten gains.
More than 30 people were implicated in the scheme, including members and associates of the Big Four Mafia crime families, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and former NBA player Damon Jones.
Mr. Billups maintains his innocence.
Jones pleaded guilty in federal court in April, admitting that he provided inside information to bettors and helped direct fixed poker games.
He is scheduled to be sentenced early next year.
