Miami Heat's Terry Rozier pleads not guilty to sports betting charges - ESPN

NEW YORK — Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier pleaded not guilty Monday to charges he helped gamblers placing bets on his performance in NBA games.

The 31-year-old veteran of three NBA teams formally entered the plea during his arraignment in federal court in Brooklyn on wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges, and he was released on a $3 million bond secured by his home in Florida. Prosecutors say Rozier conspired with friends to help them win bets on his performance in a March 2023 game when he played for the Charlotte Hornets.

He was also instructed by Magistrate Judge Clay Kaminsky not to gamble, have firearms or to have any contact with victims, co-defendants and witnesses in the case. Rozier, who's from Ohio, additionally surrendered his passport and was restricted to traveling between Florida, Ohio and New York unless granted prior approval.

Rozier, wearing a gray suit, didn't speak in court other than to answer «yes» or «no» to the judge's questions. He and his lawyer, Jim Trusty, declined to comment after the brief hearing.

Rozier was expected to join his five other co-defendants, their lawyers and prosecutors for a pretrial hearing later Monday. He previously appeared before a federal judge in Orlando on Oct. 23, when prosecutors first announced the indictment.

His attorney denied the charges at the time, saying his client was «not a gambler» and «looks forward to winning this fight.»

More than 30 people have been arrested in the sprawling federal takedown of illegal gambling operations linked to professional sports, including several Mafia figures. Portland Trail Blazers coach and NBA Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups has pleaded not guilty in a separate scheme to fix high-stakes, Mafia-backed illegal poker