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Terry Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, claimed the government “crawled into bed with some horrific people” in an effort to get the NBA player implicated in allegations that he told a friend he would take himself out of a game, so the friend could place eventual winning wagers on his performance.
Rozier was arrested and is facing charges of wire fraud and money laundering, stemming from a game in which he played less than 10 minutes, citing a foot injury. Multiple people placed high-stakes wagers on Rozier to perform poorly before the game, all of which won.
Trusty admitted that Rozier “told a friend” he would take himself out of a game early, which is “not a crime,” adding that the allegations against his client are “thin.”
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Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier (3) looks to pass against the Boston Celtics during the second half at Spectrum Center. (Nell Redmond/USA Today Sports)
In fact, Rozier is the one who is being “screwed,” Trusty said, because he “lost money” on his shoe endorsement deal by not playing in enough games. Rozier missed the final six games of the season with the foot injury.
“Terry Rozier had a $100 million contract and a big shoe endorsement. This indictment actually suggests that he faked the injury, which is absurd. People knew about it — medical people knew about it, staff knew about it, friends knew about it. This was a guy who was banged up after a long 82-game season. The Hornets are out of the playoffs, so he and others were telling the [Charlotte] Hornets coaching staff, time to sit them. It’s a waste,” Trusty added in his appearance on “The Will Cain Show.”
“It was a chronic injury, it was just going to get worse if he played for no reason, so he took himself out.”
Rozier was not placed on the Hornets’ injury report before the game.
Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)
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Trusty added that there are “a bunch of people that Terry doesn’t even know if he can pick them out of a lineup.”
When asked if Rozier gave inside information for the purpose of illegal betting, Trusty said the answer was an “absolute not. Never happened.”
“I think the prosecution basically knows it, but they like the idea of having him as a trophy in this case to kind of mirror the case with Chauncey Billups…” Trusty said. “This is an innocent guy who is getting completely screwed in terms of his career. He’s played 1,000 games, they’re latching onto a game where the NBA literally cleared him two years ago and trying to suggest that somehow they know better and that he was a conspirator as opposed to someone who just had a hurt foot.”
Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier (3) dribbles against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Footprint Center. (Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports)
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“I’m concerned the government might have crawled into bed with some horrific people to try to get their cooperation,” he added. “Violent people on the gambling side. They’re not going to have anything honest or direct about Terry. I am concerned they’re really making deals with the devil to try to work their way down, instead of the opposite direction.”
Two defendants in the related poker case, Curtis Meeks and Angelo Ruggeiro Jr., were in court in Brooklyn on Tuesday, where Meeks was ordered to be held on permanent detention, which means the government can keep him behind bars indefinitely while the case proceeds. Ruggiero Jr. will be held on permanent detention, which means he can be held indefinitely while the case proceeds. Meeks pled not guilty. Rozier is not a defendant in the case, which remains an ongoing investigation.
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