CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WGHP) — Former Charlotte Hornets star Terry Rozier was arrested early Thursday as part of an FBI probe into sports betting, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
FBI Director Kash Patel is holding a press conference alongside the Eastern District of New York, announcing the arrests at 10 a.m.
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The Wall Street Journal reported that Rozier was under federal investigation in connection with an illegal sports betting scheme in January.
Rozier, who played for the Hornets from 2019 until 2024, is part of a large federal investigation into a group of bettors accused of rigging professional sports games.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 20: Terry Rozier #3 of the Charlotte Hornets brings the ball up court against the Philadelphia 76ers during their game at Spectrum Center on January 20, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Rozier was traded to the Miami Heat in January 2024 and is still currently a part of their roster. The same investigation has already led to one former NBA player, Jontay Porter, facing criminal charges and a prison sentence as well as a lifetime ban from the NBA.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier III, right, drives down court in front of Houston Rockets center Steven Adams (12) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
Porter is accused of intentionally manipulating his performance for financial gain and providing confidential information to bettors.
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The Wall Street Journal reports that the same group of bettors who arranged for Porter to fix games used “inside information” to wager large amounts of money against Rozier while he played for the Hornets.
The game in question took place on March 23, 2023, at the Smoothie King Center, where the Hornets faced off against the New Orleans Pelicans.
FILE – Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier (3) shoots over New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones (5) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Thursday, March 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Derick Hingle, File)
The Pelicans won the game by a score of 115-96. Rozier, at the time one of the Hornets’ best players, only played 10 minutes before leaving the game with a sore right foot and finished with 5 points. Rozier went on to miss the remainder of Charlotte’s game that season with the injury.
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A copy of that day’s injury report from the NBA shows that Rozier was not listed as an injured player for the Hornets heading into that game.
During the 2022-23 season, Rozier played an average of 35.3 minutes per game and averaged 21.1 points per game, according to Basketball-Reference.
The Wall Street Journal reports that sportsbooks were notified of strange activity on “under” bets placed on Rozier to not meet certain benchmarks, such as total points scored or rebounds recorded in that March 2023 game and many stopped accepting bets on Rozier.
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