Home NBA’s Terry Rozier pleads not guilty, released on $3 million bail

NBA’s Terry Rozier pleads not guilty, released on $3 million bail

NBA star Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty in court and was released on a $3 million bail bond in Brooklyn.

The decision to allow the basketball player to be released on bond shows parity with the other NBA alums involved in a recent betting and money laundering case that has rocked the sporting world.

Rozier pleads not guilty

As we covered, the Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, and former NBA star Damon Jones were all arrested as part of a Department of Justice and FBI investigation.

Jones was also released on bail, denying conspiracy charges across the two major gambling and match-fixing cases. His family used their home as collateral for his bond appeal.

Now, Rozier has appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to deny the claims made against him publicly.

The official case name, United States v. Deniro Laster & Terry Rozier, alleges that the Heat player disclosed non-public information in conjunction with acts of fraud.

This inside information revolved around his health and playing status. Bettors then used this to capitalize on the gambling markets, which were not privy to the knowledge before games and lineups were released.

Further to the leaking of this information, Rozier is alleged to have then participated in a scheme to move and disguise the proceeds of the betting windfall.

Federal counts aimed at Rozier

The two federal counts aimed at Rozier are Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and Conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each carries a possible 20-year custodial sentence, but this can vary depending on the terms of any agreements with authorities, such as plea deals.

The NBA released information, alongside the authorities of each game, under the legal and betting spotlight. In Rozier’s case, the game in March 2023, between the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks highlights the allegations aimed at the guard.

Rozier had reportedly planned to leave the court early and informed three of his alleged co-conspirators. Rozier is said to have exited the game in the ninth minute, and this “confidential information to place and direct more than $200,000 in wagers” would net the cabal tens of thousands of dollars.

As a result of the allegations, the NBA would release a further statement, suspending the wages of Portland coach Billups and the Miami Heat’s Rozier.

The procedural hearing for the Heat star has been set for March 3, 2026, but other players in the court drama could impact that date.

Featured image: Keith Allison via WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 2.0

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Suswati Basu
News Editor

Suswati Basu is a multilingual, award-winning editor and the founder of the intersectional literature channel, How To Be Books. She was shortlisted for the Guardian Mary Stott Prize and longlisted for the Guardian International Development Journalism Award. With 18 years of experience in the media industry, Suswati has held significant roles such as head of audience and deputy editor for NationalWorld news, digital editor for Channel 4 News and ITV News. She has also contributed to the Guardian and received training at the BBC. As an audience, trends, and SEO specialist, she has participated in panel events alongside Google. Her…