Former Hornets guard Terry Rozier arrested in FBI sports betting investigation
Former Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier was among other high-profile NBA stars arrested on Oct. 23 in an FBI sports betting operation.
The “numerous arrests in illegal sports betting and poker game schemes” were announced during a Thursday morning press conference held in New York featuring U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Joseph Nocella and FBI Director Kash Patel.
Rozier, who played for the Hornets between 2019 and 2024 before being traded to the Miami Heat, was arrested Thursday morning at his team hotel in Orlando. He’s been placed on leave, the NBA said in a statement.
“We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today.,” the statement read. “Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”
Of the investigation into illegal sports betting involving Rozier, Nocella claimed: “Between December 2022 and March 2024, these defendants perpetrated a scheme to defraud by betting on inside non-public information about NBA athletes and teams. The non-public information included when specific players would be sitting out future games or when they would pull themselves out early for purported injuries or illnesses. They relied on corrupt individuals, including Jones and Rozier.”
Four teams were mentioned in the illegal sports gambling investigation as being bet on — the Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, and Portland Trail Blazers. The Heat was not included on that list.
The Hornets have not responded to a request for comment by The Charlotte Observer.
Each defendant in the illegal sports betting case, including Rozier, has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Rozier’s attorney, James Trusty of Ifrah Law PLLC, released a statement to the Miami Herald, The Observer’s sister news site.
“We have represented Terry Rozier for over a year,” Trusty said in the statement. “A long time ago we reached out to these prosecutors to tell them 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 to tell me FBI agents were trying to arrest him in a hotel.
“It is unfortunate that instead of allowing him to self-surrender they opted for a photo op. They wanted the misplaced glory of embarrassing a professional athlete with a perp walk. That tells you a lot about the motivations in this case. They appear to be taking the word of spectacularly in-credible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing. Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case. Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”
Terry Rozier under investigation in 2023 probe
Rozier, 31, was previously under investigation as part of a probe connected to unusual betting activity involving a 2023 game when he was with the Hornets,
ESPN reported in July that “a professional bettor placed 30 wagers in 46 minutes, all involving Terry Rozier in a 2023 NBA game.”
During that March 23 game against New Orleans, Rozier scored five points on 2-of-4 shooting, including one 3-pointer, grabbed four rebounds, had two assists and added one steal. But after just 9:34 of playing time, Rozier left the game citing a foot injury. He never returned to the game, nor played again that season.
Rozier was eventually traded to the Heat in January 2024.
The NBA conducted its own investigation on Rozier at the time and did not find a violation of NBA rules.
“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,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said when the federal investigation into Rozier was made public in late January by The Wall Street Journal. “The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules. We are now aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation.”
More details on the feds’ NBA gambling charges
The investigation into Rozier is part of a larger government probe that led to a criminal charge and lifetime ban from the NBA for former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter.
Former NBA player and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones were also arrested by the FBI as part of the gambling probe. Jones played for 10 different teams during his NBA career, including with the Heat during the 2004-05 season.
“The integrity of the game is paramount to NBA players, but so is the presumption of innocence and both are hindered when player popularity is misused to gain attention, the NBAPA said in a statement. “We will ensure our members are protected and afforded their due process rights through this process.”
The FBI probe stemmed from illegal sports betting and poker game schemes, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Eastern District of New York.
For more on this case, read the coverage in The Miami Herald.
This story was originally published October 23, 2025 at 9:36 AM.
