Terry Rozier accepted a $100,000 bribe in order to exit a 2023 NBA game early as part of a gambling scheme, federal prosecutors alleged in a new indictment filed against the former Hornets and Heat guard on Thursday.
The new indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York alleges that Rozier told Deniro Laster that he would come out of the Hornets’ March 23, 2023, game against the Pelicans in the first quarter, and Lester then shared that information with bettors.
The indictment includes additional charges of bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy.
The indictment names the NBA and the Hornets as the victims. Rozier has denied being a part of the sports betting scheme.
Prosecutors said Rozier used a leg injury that he was dealing with late in the 2022-23 season as the reason to pull himself out of the game and was to receive $100,000 for his troubles, while gamblers placed total wagers of more than $258,700 on the under on Rozier’s stats for that particular game.
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.
