In a new motion to dismiss filing, Terry Rozier, an NBA free agent, wants two of the four charges brought against him dismissed after the federal government accused him of faking an injury so that sports gamblers could cash in on his stats.
According to court documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports and filed in the Eastern District of New York on July 31, Rozier's lawyers say in the lawsuit that he is innocent of sports bribery and honest services wire fraud conspiracy charges, adding that a third criminal charge should be tossed because the venue is improper for this case.
The filing says a fourth charge also must be dismissed as Rozier "always gave his honest services to the Charlotte Hornets and to the NBA. He always gave everything he had to every minute
he played. He gave his blood, sweat, and tears for basketball, often playing injured and doing everything asked of him by his coaches and teammates."
"Terry Rozier is innocent. He is a basketball player, not a gambler. He never bet on anything, never agreed to underperform, never did underperform, and did not know that anyone was wagering on his statistics in the Charlotte Hornets’ March 23, 2023, game," the filing adds. "The Government’s own discovery bears that out."
The filing maintains that there is sufficient proof that the entire case against Rozier should be thrown out.
According to the motion, co-defendant Deniro Laster sent a text on March 29, 2023, to a third party telling them not to tell Rozier that a bet was placed on him.
“Dont tell chum bout the bet,” Laster said in the message. The filing says that "chum" is Rozier's nickname.
“This should end the case,” Rozier's lawyers said in the filing. “One does not hide a bet from the person who supposedly sold it."
Rozier, 32, is already facing wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges after he was arrested in October 2025, part of an alleged wide-ranging illegal gambling scheme that includes ties to organized crime and involves more than 30 individuals. Federal authorities allege in court documents that Rozier provided insider information that gamblers used to place wagers on the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, and Toronto Raptors over the span of a year.
The sports bribery and honest services wire fraud conspiracy charge stems from what prosecutors' allegation that Rozier schemed to leave early during a March 23, 2023, game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to a foot injury. Rozier played less than 10 minutes in the game and did not return, finishing with five points and two assists. The accusation is that Rozier told Laster he would leave the game early, and that information was sold to others, who made "under" bets on Rozier's statistical performance. Rozier accepted a $100,000 bribe for the scheme, prosecutors said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Terry Rozier cites text in request to throw out federal bribery case
