Terry Rozier asks judge to dismiss charges in federal NBA betting case

Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier is now pushing back aggressively in court. A little more than two weeks after pleading not guilty, Rozier has taken the next step in his legal strategy by asking a federal judge to dismiss the charges against him entirely. The case is part of a sweeping federal sports betting investigation that includes more than 30 defendants.

Rozier was arraigned on two counts, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. His attorney, Jim Trusty, argues those charges should never have been filed.

Lawyers for Terry Rozier filed a motion to dismiss wire fraud conspir. charges. The scheme deprived a sportsbook of making informed decisions on accepting a wager, bc Rozier provided a co-defendant w certain non-public info. SCOTUS rejected the theory in Ciminelli v US they wrote pic.twitter.com/2v58BD0LO8

— Matt Rybaltowski (@MattRybaltowski) December 23, 2025

According to Trusty, the indictment fails to clearly explain how Rozier allegedly committed wire fraud, which he says is a fatal flaw. Without a valid wire fraud charge, the money laundering allegation would also fall apart.

CBS Sports reports that Trusty pointed to a 2023 United States Supreme Court ruling that spells out what prosecutors must prove in a wire fraud case. Specifically, the scheme must be intended to deprive a victim, in this instance sportsbooks, of money or property.

Terry Rozier seeks to dismiss federal charges in NBA gambling case

In a public legal filing, Trusty criticized how prosecutors have framed the case.

“The government has billed this case as involving ‘insider betting’ and ‘rigging’ professional basketball games,” Trusty said in a public legal document. “But the indictment alleges something less headline-worthy: that some bettors broke certain sportsbooks’ terms of use.”

Prosecutors claim Rozier was connected to a gambling ring that relied on sharing inside, non-public information. According to the indictment, Rozier allegedly told a co-conspirator, De’Niro Laster, that he planned to remove himself early from a March 2023 game while playing for the Charlotte Hornets. Laster then allegedly sold that information to gamblers, who distributed it through a betting syndicate.

Trusty argues the indictment does not establish criminal intent by Rozier.

“The indictment does not allege that Mr. Rozier ever placed a bet, whether himself or through a proxy, on any NBA game,” Trusty said. “Nor does it allege that he knew that Laster intended to sell this information to others, or that using it to place wagers would violate the Betting Companies’ rules.”

Prosecutors have until February 2 to respond to the motion to dismiss. The next procedural hearing for all defendants is scheduled for March 4. At a previous hearing, Judge Ramon Reyes said he intends for the trial to begin by September.

Rozier was arrested in October along with suspended Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, former NBA player Damon Jones, and dozens of others. Billups is accused of taking part in a separate gambling scheme involving rigged poker games tied to organized crime. Jones is implicated in both cases. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Featured image: The Financial Express via YouTube

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