Published on: December 24, 2025, 08:50h.

Updated on: December 24, 2025, 08:50h.

• Rozier’s legal team requests judge to dismiss federal wire fraud allegations
• Rozier currently on unpaid leave from the Miami Heat
• Allegations of collusion with gamblers to exploit prop bets

The legal representatives for Miami Heat player Terry Rozier filed a motion yesterday seeking to dismiss charges related to sports betting, claiming that federal prosecutors have overstepped their authority.

Rozier was implicated following a nationwide crackdown on sports betting by the FBI in October. On December 8, he pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering and was released after posting a $3 million bond.

Rozier Allegedly Collaborated with Bettors

Lawyers representing Rozier, including James Trusty and A. Jeff Ifrah, argued in a motion filed yesterday that the prosecution misconstrued a personal dispute regarding the inappropriate use of private information for sports betting as a federal case.

“The prosecution has cast this situation as involving ‘insider betting’ and the ‘manipulation’ of basketball games,” Rozier’s attorneys, James M. Trusty and A. Jeff Ifrah, stated in their motion. “However, the indictment claims something far less dramatic: that certain bettors violated the terms of service of specific sportsbooks by wagering based on non-public information and engaging in ‘straw betting.’”

$250,000 in Prop Bets

Prosecutors contend that Rozier intentionally withdrew from an NBA game in March 2023, less than 10 minutes after it started, citing a foot injury, while playing for the Charlotte Hornets.

This inside knowledge was reportedly shared with alleged accomplice Deniro “Niro” Laster, who then disseminated it to bettors, resulting in over $250,000 in prop bets placed, from which Rozier supposedly benefited. This injury information was absent from the Hornets’ pre-game injury reports and wasn’t made public or disclosed to sportsbooks, according to prosecutors.

In total, Rozier is among 34 individuals, which includes Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, former Kentucky football player Laster, and ex-player Damon Jones, who were charged in various cases related to defrauding poker players associated with New York mafia families, in addition to fraudulent betting on NBA games.

Request to Dismiss Charges

“This doesn’t mean sports betting sites have no remedies against violations of their terms — they can void bets, seek civil recompense, or request action from state prosecutors,” Trusty and Ifrah elaborated in their motion. A prior Supreme Court decision (2023, United States v. Ciminelli) clarified that federal prosecutors cannot enforce agreements between bettors and sportsbooks.

Should the defense prevail and the wire fraud charges against Rozier be dismissed, the money laundering accusations would subsequently collapse as well, since a foundational offense is necessary to consider the money laundering charge.

No Response from Prosecutors

The legal team for Rozier emphasized that their client did indeed sustain an injury and underscored the absence of any allegations in the indictment claiming that Rozier personally placed any bets on an NBA game or that he was aware of Laster’s intention to sell the information to gamblers.

According to reports, federal prosecutors have refrained from commenting on the motion to dismiss. Rozier is scheduled to return to court for a hearing on March 3 and remains on unpaid leave from the Heat.