New charges have been filed against NBA free agent guard Terry Rozier over his alleged involvement in a controversial betting-related scheme.
According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Rozier allegedly received a roughly $100,000 kickback payment after conspiring with a group of co-defendants to exit an NBA game early for gambling-related purposes.
The allegations come after federal prosecutors charged Rozier in October 2025 with conspiracy wire fraud and money laundering. The NBA veteran was charged as part of a years-long federal investigations into illegal sports betting and rigged poker games.
On Thursday, the court brought additional charges against Rozier for his alleged ties to illegal sports betting that include sports bribery and honest services wire fraud conspiracy. The charges were added after a grand jury approved a superseding indictment.
Why is Rozier facing new gambling-related charges?
Rozier allegedly receiving the kickback payment was unveiled after a co-conspirator, Marves Fairley, told government officials that he made a payment to an unnamed NBA player after planning the player’s early exit from a game during the 2022-23 NBA season. The court identified the NBA player as Rozier, who played for the Charlotte Hornets.
Court documents allege that Rozier and the co-conspirators devised the gambling scheme. The co-conspirators and Rozier agreed that Rozier would exit a March 2023 game early, despite not being on any injury report ahead of the March 2023 game in question. Rozier allegedly used a preexisting injury as a “basis to withdraw early” from the game and played less than six minutes.
The co-conspirators and Rozier used encrypted apps to communicate. Rozier agreed to give a portion of the kickback payment to a co-conspirator. In total, the co-conspirators allegedly wagered more than $200,000 on Rozier’s ‘under’ props.
What’s next for Rozier?
Fairley pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in the gambling scheme.
“I agreed to pay a player to change their game performance to give me an advantage,” said Fairley during a court hearing on Thursday.
Fairley also admitted to bribing college basketball players and using non-public information to gamble. Federal prosecutors want Fairley to spend between eight and 10 years in prison. Fairley is set for a sentencing hearing in February 2027.
Meanwhile, Rozier previously pleaded not guilty in December 2025 to the charges levied against him for his alleged involvement in the scheme. Rozier was released on a $3 million bond after pleading not guilty, and the NBA vet must adhere to travel restrictions.
Rozier filed a motion to dismiss the case before new charges were added.
“The new indictment confirms that our motion to dismiss was a good one — it’s just new charges and new theories trotted out in the hope that something sticks,” Rozier’s attorney Jim Trusty told The Athletic.
Rozier is not currently on an NBA roster after being waived by the Miami Heat on April 10.
The scheme Rozier is allegedly embroiled in is also tied to former NBA forward Jontay Porter, who received a lifetime NBA ban for betting on league games and providing insider information. Porter awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to several charges in 2024.
