Rozier Pleads Not Guilty | Heat News – Sportacentrs.com

The 31-year-old linebacker is accused of helping to place bets on matches with his own participation. Prosecutors allege Rozier conspired with friends to help them win bets on his performance in a March 2023 game when he played for the Charlotte Hornets.

Rozier was arrested in October and released on $3 million bail. However, he was ordered not to gamble, possess firearms or contact the victims, co-defendants and witnesses in the case. Rozier, who is from Ohio, additionally surrendered his passport and was barred from traveling between Florida, Ohio and New York except with prior approval.

Rozier did not speak in court Monday except to answer yes or no questions from the judge.

He declined to comment afterward, but his attorney, Jim Trusty, said his client was “excited” about his chances of defending himself against the charges.

Later, after hearing from the five other defendants in the case, Trusty said he would soon file a motion to dismiss the case on constitutional grounds.

He also urged the judge to continue the case on an expedited basis, saying Rozier is dealing with “multiple levels of litigation,” including arbitration with the NBA.

But U.S. District Judge Lashanna DeArcy Hall dismissed the claims, saying “arbitration with the league doesn’t affect me.”

The next court hearing is scheduled for March 3, and as the judge said, defense attorneys will be given a large amount of evidence, including the original 1,000 documents and more than 55 gigabytes of data.

Prosecutors say Rozier told bettors he planned to leave the game against the New Orleans Pelicans early with a possible injury, allowing gamblers to place bets that netted them tens of thousands of dollars in payouts.

Rozier played the first nine minutes and 36 seconds of that match before leaving the field citing a foot problem.

The NBA was aware of suspicious bets on that fight, but at the time, after an investigation, the league found no violation of any of its rules. Currently, the prosecutor’s office believes otherwise.

Another person connected to the NBA involved in the investigation is Damon Jones, who pleaded not guilty last month to allegations that the 2022/23 In the 2016 season, while working as an unofficial assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, he provided sportsbooks with undisclosed information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Jones, a former NBA player, has also been charged with Billups and others in a separate poker scheme.

Both Billups and Rozier have been suspended from their teams without pay while their lawsuits are pending.

Rozier has earned an estimated $160 million over his ten-year career in the NBA. Last year, the Charlotte Hornets traded him to the Heat.

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