By Cara Tabachnick
News Editor
Updated on: December 8, 2025 / 5:39 PM EST
/ CBS News
New York — Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges in a Brooklyn courtroom, becoming the last of several players tied to alleged mafia-linked illegal gambling rings to appear before a judge.
Rozier faced counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which prosecutors say occurred between December 2022 and March 2024. He was released on a $3 million bond secured by his Florida home and another property whose address the court sealed. At the arraignment, Rozier’s attorney, James Trusty, requested a speedy and public trial.
Rozier was arrested in Orlando on Oct. 23 as part of a wide FBI sweep that produced 34 defendants across two federal indictments. Prosecutors say Rozier participated in a scheme that facilitated bets on NBA games using insider information tied to injury reports. In one alleged scheme, prosecutors claim Rozier told a co-conspirator he would fake an injury to exit a game early.
Federal agents had investigated unusual wagering on a March 23, 2023 game between the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier, who played for Charlotte before being traded to Miami in early 2024, logged only 9 minutes, 34 seconds and left with right foot discomfort. At the time, the NBA said it found no evidence Rozier violated league rules.
Following his arrest, the NBA placed Rozier on indefinite leave. Commissioner Adam Silver said he was “deeply disturbed” by the allegations involving several people connected to the league.
Rozier and five other defendants are accused of supplying nonpublic information in exchange for flat fees or a share of profits. Rozier is not charged in the separate indictment that centers on an alleged cheating scheme in rigged poker games prosecutors said yielded more than $7 million.
Rozier appeared alongside co-defendant Deniro Laster, a childhood friend prosecutors say coordinated sharing of nonpublic information and bets among gambling rings. Laster, who lives in Cleveland, was released on a $50,000 secured bond posted by his mother and cousin.
Both men surrendered their passports, face travel restrictions, must submit to substance testing and are barred from gambling, among other bond conditions.
At a later status conference, Rozier’s attorney said Rozier will appear before the NBA in arbitration within about 10 days and confirmed Rozier is not currently receiving his NBA salary, saying the federal case has severely harmed him professionally.
Rozier’s court appearance follows other high-profile not guilty pleas in the probes. Two weeks earlier, Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups pleaded not guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering in the poker indictment. Former NBA player Damon Jones is indicted in both cases and pleaded not guilty earlier this month; he was released on a $200,000 bond secured by his parents’ home in Texas.