NBA star Terry Rozier is set to face new federal bribery charges in connection with an alleged gambling scheme, prosecutors revealed in court on Monday. Assistant U.S. attorney Kaitlin Farrell stated that the government has developed evidence that Rozier solicited and accepted a bribe, and will present the charges to a grand jury.
Details of the Charges
The charges are expected to be filed in mid-May, with the NBA identified as the victim of the scheme. Rozier is accused of committing sports bribery and honest services fraud. His attorney, Jim Trusty of Ifrah Law, said he was informed of the possibility of superseding charges just two hours before the hearing.
Rozier already faces two federal wire fraud charges after his arrest and indictment in October for his role in a sports betting scheme. He allegedly told Deniro Laster that he would exit a game early in March 2023 while playing for the Charlotte Hornets. Laster is then accused of selling that information to sports bettors.
Court Proceedings
Monday's hearing was scheduled to address a motion to dismiss Rozier's initial charges, but the potential superseding indictment took center stage, and the judge did not rule on the motion. Trusty expressed skepticism about the legal theory behind the charges, stating, "Our motion to dismiss is based on the idea that they picked an invalid legal theory to prosecute Terry Rozier. We'll see what they do to try to fix that in the superseding indictment, but I expect we'll have problems with it."
Related Cases
Seven men were charged by federal prosecutors last October in relation to the alleged scheme. Among them is Damon Jones, a former NBA player and assistant coach, who is set to plead guilty to charges related to the case on Tuesday. Jones will also plead guilty to charges involving a rigged poker game that involved former Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups.
