Pretrial Fight Intensifies Ahead of NBA Finals
As the NBA Finals approach, pretrial proceedings are heating up in the illegal sports betting case involving former Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier.
Days after prosecutors filed additional charges, Rozier’s attorneys submitted a memo on Wednesday seeking changes to the conditions of his pretrial release. Rozier is currently barred from contacting current and former Hornets employees under the terms of his release.
His attorney, Jim Trusty, asked the court to modify a “no-contact list” established by the government following Rozier’s arrest last fall.
Superseding Indictment Adds New Charges
Last week, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn filed a superseding indictment against Rozier, adding two further charges in the high-profile case.
Traded by the Hornets in 2024, Rozier had previously been accused of deliberately underperforming to influence the outcome of wagers on his statistical performance in a 2023 game. He now also faces allegations of accepting a bribe as part of the wider scheme.
In October, federal authorities arrested Rozier in Florida as part of a sweeping indictment against six defendants in a nationwide sports betting case. He is accused of leaving a March 2023 game against the New Orleans Pelicans early with an apparent foot injury.
Prosecutors say that early exit helped a group of defendants win several same-game parlay wagers tied to Rozier’s output. Court filings allege the defendants wagered at least $200,000 on a series of “under” bets on his statistical performance.
Also last week, Marves Fairley, described as a presumed ringleader in the NBA and college basketball schemes, pleaded guilty to seven charges in Brooklyn. Prosecutors allege Fairley gave co-defendant Deniro Laster tens of thousands of dollars for the tip on Rozier.
Rozier, 32, now faces charges of bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy. Prosecutors allege that shortly before the 2023 game, he informed Laster of his plan to remove himself in the first quarter.
According to court filings, Rozier initially agreed to accept a $100,000 bribe, later negotiating the amount down to $70,000 after at least one defendant lost wagers on his rebound total.
Trusty told multiple media outlets last week that the new charges were an attempt by prosecutors to “make something stick.” In April, prosecutors informed the defense of their intention to file new charges just hours before a hearing on Rozier’s motion to dismiss the case. US District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall has not yet ruled on that motion.
No-Contact Restrictions Remain in Dispute
When Rozier made his initial appearance in Brooklyn federal court on 8 December 2025, a magistrate judge set conditions of release. Rozier posted bond the same day, and three days later the no-contact list took effect, court records show.
The list covers current and former members of the Hornets, including coaches, players, medical staff, building staff and support staff. One day later, it was amended to include members of the Miami Heat, another former Rozier team, under the same terms.
Prosecutors have also barred Rozier from contacting corporate representatives of FanDuel, DraftKings, BetRivers/Rush Street Interactive, ESPN, Bet/Penn Entertainment and the NBA, Trusty wrote in the memo.
The Heat waived Rozier near the end of the regular season. On 29 May, the government advised his counsel that it would remove the Heat from the no-contact list, the motion states. Four days later, on 2 June, prosecutors told Rozier’s team they would not remove the Hornets restriction.
Trusty indicated that keeping the Hornets on the list could reduce Rozier’s chances of signing with another NBA team.
Rozier and two other defendants are accused of conspiring to defraud the Hornets and the NBA of the “intangible right” to Rozier’s honest services through bribery, according to the indictment.
One day after prosecutors filed the new charges, the NBA approved a new rule aimed at deterring tanking across the league.
Upcoming Court Dates
Rozier is due back in court on 10 June for arraignment on the additional charges.
Fairley is scheduled to be sentenced on 24 February 2027, a Brooklyn magistrate judge announced last week. Prosecutors are recommending a concurrent prison sentence of 8-10 years.