Ex-NBA Guard Terry Rozier Hit With New Bribery Charges

Paid to Play, Accused of Being Paid to Stop

Federal prosecutors in New York have filed new charges against former NBA guard Terry Rozier, accusing him of accepting a bribe to pull himself out of a game early so gamblers could profit on bets tied to his statistics. Rozier, who spent years as a starter for the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets, was already facing federal charges from his arrest in October 2025.

A superseding indictment filed in Brooklyn federal court added counts of bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy to the existing case. He now faces four federal counts in total.

How the Alleged Scheme Worked

The indictment centers on a single game: a March 23, 2023, matchup between the Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. Prosecutors allege Rozier agreed to remove himself from that game early, citing a leg injury, in exchange for roughly $100,000.

Rozier was pulled nine minutes in, finishing with five points, four rebounds, and two assists. His points and assists came in under the betting lines, but his four rebounds exceeded his average of 3.3 per game, causing some of the wagers to lose. According to the superseding indictment, Rozier and his co-conspirators then renegotiated the payment downward to about $70,000 to account for the bets that did not pay off.

The Money Trail

The new charges sharpen the financial picture that prosecutors first sketched at his arrest. The original case already included conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The added bribery and honest services counts allege a direct, negotiated payment for a specific on-court action.

Separately, Rozier will forfeit most of his 2025-26 salary, reported at roughly $26.6 million, as a result of his alleged role in the scheme, according to reporting on the case. The financial stakes around the indictment now dwarf the alleged bribe itself.

Rozier Denies Taking Part

Rozier has denied participating in the scheme. His attorney, Jim Trusty of Ifrah Law, asked a judge in December to dismiss the case, arguing that the government had overstepped. That motion framed the defense’s position before the superseding indictment landed: that prosecutors are stretching the facts.

An indictment is an accusation, not a finding of guilt. Rozier has not been convicted, and the case will move through pretrial motions before any trial date is set.

Why This Case Matters Beyond One Player

Sports betting is now legal in most of the country, and leagues have leaned into partnerships with sportsbooks. That makes a case like this one a test of how the system polices itself when a player’s individual stat line, not the final score, is the thing being wagered on.

For readers, the appeal is simpler and older than any betting app: a professional paid to compete, accused of being paid to quit. The charges remain allegations, and Rozier maintains his innocence. What changed is that prosecutors now claim to have the specific game, the specific stat line, and the specific dollar figure.

A Case That Started Months Ago

The new counts did not come out of nowhere. Rozier was arrested in October 2025 as part of a broader federal look at gambling and the NBA, and he has been fighting the case since. His attorney’s December motion to dismiss argued the government had reached too far, framing the prosecution as an overcorrection rather than a clean fraud case.

The superseding indictment is the government’s answer. By adding bribery and honest services wire fraud conspiracy counts tied to one identifiable game, prosecutors narrowed a sprawling theory down to a concrete transaction: a player, a leg injury cited nine minutes in, and a payment they say was negotiated up front and then renegotiated after some bets lost.

The Stakes for Rozier

Beyond the criminal exposure, the financial fallout is steep. Reporting on the case indicates Rozier will forfeit the bulk of his 2025-26 salary, a figure listed near $26.6 million, because of his alleged role. That loss lands regardless of where the criminal case ends up, a reminder that for a professional athlete, an indictment can carry consequences long before a verdict.

What remains unproven is the heart of the allegation: that Rozier knowingly took money to manipulate his own performance. He denies it. The court will weigh the government’s specific claims about the March 2023 game against that denial as the case moves toward trial.

References: Terry Rozier bribery charges NBA betting | Feds say ex-NBA player Terry Rozier accepted $100k bribe