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Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier’s attorney sharply criticized the FBI Thursday after his client was arrested as part of a widespread investigation into illegal gambling.
Rozier, basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and former NBA coach Damon Jones are among the professional sports figures arrested in the investigation.
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Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard AJ Johnson (5) during the first quarter at Capital One Arena on May 31, 2025. (Reggie Hildred/Image Images)
“We have represented Terry Rozier for over a year. We contacted these prosecutors a long time ago to tell them that 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 me to tell me that FBI agents were trying to arrest him at a hotel,” James Trusty of Ifrah Law PLLC said in a statement.
“It’s unfortunate that instead of allowing him to turn himself in, they opted for a photo op. They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a criminal ride. That says a lot about the motivations in this case. They seem to be taking the word of spectacularly incredible sources instead of relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing. Terry was acquitted by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a player, but “He is not afraid of the fight and hopes to win it.”
Rozier was allegedly involved in a scheme to manipulate statistics so that his alleged accomplices would profit from prop bets.
Pak Gazette Digital has reached out to the NBA and the Heat for comment.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) and guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) celebrate during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington, District of Columbia, on March 31, 2025. (Reggie Hildred/Image Images)
NBA LEGEND CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, HEAT’S TERRY ROZIER ARRESTED AS PART OF FBI GAMBLING INVESTIGATION
The NBA confirmed in January that Rozier was under investigation by federal prosecutors for suspicions of an illegal betting scheme. Rozier’s allegations were first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The NBA said at the time that it investigated the matter and did not find that any league rules had been violated.
“In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier’s performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans,” the league told The Wall Street Journal in January. “The league conducted an investigation and found no violation of NBA rules. We are now aware of an investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation.”
The game involving Rozier in question was played on March 23, 2023, a matchup between the Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds of that game, and not only did he not return that night, citing a foot problem, but he also did not play again that season. Charlotte had eight games left and was not in playoff contention, so it didn’t seem particularly unusual for Rozier to be excluded from the final games of the season.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) handles the ball during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena in Washington, District of Columbia, on March 31, 2025. (Reggie Hildred/Image Images)
In that March 23 game, Rozier finished with five points, four rebounds and two assists in that opening period — a productive quarter, but well below his usual total production for a full game.
