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The lawyer who represents Miami Heat Player Terry Rozier accused the FBI of seeking “misplaced glory” after the NBA player was arrested Thursday as part of a wide-ranging investigation into an alleged illegal sports betting operation.
Rozier, who was immediately placed on leave by NBA according to the indictments, was among more than 30 people arrested in two FBI investigations into illegal sports betting and alleged bogus poker games with suspected ties to New York-based crime families.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier leaves the U.S. federal courthouse through a side door after his arraignment Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Rozier was not named in the second indictment.
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The NBA player appeared in court Thursday and is charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. An attorney for Rozier released a statement saying his client is “not a gambler” and was previously cleared by the NBA. He also took aim at the FBI not allowing Rozier to “turn himself in” despite an apparent line of communication.
“They characterized Terry as a subject, not a target, but at 6 o’clock this morning they called to tell me FBI agents tried to arrest him at a hotel. It’s unfortunate that instead of letting him turn himself in, they opted for a photo op,” attorney Jim Trusty said in a statement via The Athletic.
“They would have the misplaced honor of embarrassing a pro athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case. They seem to be taking their word for it from spectacularly unbelievable sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing.”
Jim Trusty, center, attorney representing Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, speaks to reporters after leaving the U.S. Federal Courthouse following Rozier’s arraignment Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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Rozier is accused of intentionally leaving a 2023 game earlyciting an injury so co-conspirators could allegedly place bets on his “under” prop bets. It was originally reported in January that Rozier was being investigated for involvement in a game on March 23, 2023.
Rozier reportedly told a childhood friend, Deniro Laster, that he would take himself out of a game early, citing an injury, so that Laster could place bets based on the information. Neither Hornets officials nor betting companies were made aware of Rozier’s plan, according to the indictment, and Rozier was not listed on the team’s injury report.
Laster then allegedly sold this information to other co-conspirators, and several people bet a total of about $200,000 on Rozier’s “under” prop bets to hit both parlay and straight bets. After Rozier played just nine minutes and never returned, the bets won. Rozier and Laster counted winnings at Rozier’s home in Charlotte about a week later, the indictment states.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier gets into a limousine after leaving the federal courthouse through a side door following his arraignment Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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Trusty doubled down on his statement outside court Thursday, saying the initial investigation cleared Rozier of wrongdoing.
“What I can tell you is that there are a lot of people who are very tight-lipped about what happened in 2023. But what I was told was that there was an investigation. They interviewed him twice. They took his phone, downloaded everything, and in the end they said there was nothing to see here and cleared him.”
Trusty said “FBI agents” were part of the investigation, which he described as “the real deal.”
“They were looking at the same things. and they said there’s nothing here, but you know, we have a trophy hunt, so we’re fighting it.”
