FBI agents arrived at Terry Rozier’s Orlando, Florida, hotel room by 6 a.m. Thursday, ready to arrest the Miami Heat guard for his alleged role in an illegal NBA gambling scandal that reverberated throughout the league days after the 2025-26 season opened.
Rozier’s name had been mentioned in connection with NBA gambling issues for some time. His attorney, Jim Trusty, said previously that Rozier met with the NBA and FBI several times in 2023 and wrote in a statement issued Thursday the league previously cleared Rozier when it looked into suspicious betting activity during his time with the Charlotte Hornets. But the morning after Rozier’s first game this season, federal authorities showed up with an indictment featuring allegations that accuse him of manipulating his performance for the purpose of enriching himself and gamblers, who profited off inside information he provided.
Rozier was placed into custody Thursday, along with Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups and former NBA player Damon Jones, as part of the yearslong investigation by the FBI that also included more than 30 arrests related to an illegal poker operation with Mafia ties. Rozier and Billups were each put on immediate leave from their teams by the NBA.
It’s Rozier’s alleged offense that could do the most damage to the league since it concerns the integrity of the games. Here’s a breakdown of why Rozier was arrested as part of the NBA’s gambling scandal:
NBA gambling scandal: What is Terry Rozier accused of?
Rozier is officially charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in an indictment released by a federal court in New York on Thursday, Oct. 23. He’s accused of being part of an illegal betting scheme by alerting gamblers he intended to fake an injury in order to make money off a prop bet related to his performance in a game.
Prior to the March 23, 2023, game between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans, according to the indictment, Rozier told co-defendant Deniro Laster that he planned to prematurely remove himself from the game in the first quarter due to injury and not return to play. Rozier had not been listed on the injury report.
Federal authorities allege Laster then sold the information to co-defendant Marves Fairley, and more than $200,000 in prop bets were subsequently placed on Rozier’s ‘unders’ for the game. Rozier played 9 minutes, 34 seconds for the Hornets in the game before leaving with an injury and finished ‘under’ his prop bet totals for points, assists and 3-pointers.
The indictment also states once Laster collected his cut of the winnings from Fairley in Philadelphia, he drove from Philadelphia to Rozier’s home in Charlotte and counted the money with Rozier during the early morning hours of April 1, 2023. Rozier did not appear in another game that season for the Hornets.
Rozier, Jones and former NBA player Jontay Porter were each accused of providing inside information for the illegal gambling scheme as part of the investigation. Porter was banned for life from playing in the NBA in April 2024 and plead guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in July 2024.
Joseph Nocella Jr., the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, called it ‘one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.’
Terry Rozier ‘not afraid of a fight’
Terry Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, issued a statement to USA TODAY Sports defending Rozier after his arrest on Thursday morning:
‘We have represented Terry Rozier for over a year. A long time ago we reached out to these prosecutors to tell them we should have an open line of communication. They characterized Terry as a subject, not a target, but at 6 a.m. this morning they called to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel. It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self surrender they opted for a photo op. They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case. They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing. Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.’
Terry Rozier career earnings
Rozier is starting his 11th season in the NBA, though he did not play in the Miami Heat’s 2025-26 season opener against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday due to a coach’s decision. This is his second full season in Miami after being traded there by the Hornets on Jan. 23, 2024.
Rozier signed a four-year extension worth about $96.3 million with the Charlotte Hornets ahead of the 2022 NBA season, according to Spotrac. The deal was the 31-year-old’s third contract since entering the NBA in 2015 as a first-round pick by the Celtics. It was also his biggest deal to date, topping his previous two contracts combined.
Rozier has $160,484,983 in career earnings, per Spotrac. The guard has received contracts worth $96.3 million, $56.7 million and $8.8 million during his 10-year career.
USA TODAY Sports reporter Nick Brinkerhoff contributed to this report
