After the arrest and conviction of former NBA player Jontay Porter due to his ties to illegal betting, federal prosecutors have started another investigation into NBA
player Terry Rozier.According to The Wall Street Journal, prosecutors are investigating whether the Miami Heat player manipulated his play while on the court, similar to Porter, who pled guilty to the charges against him. The government is also investigating whether Porter participated in an illegal sports betting scheme.
An NBA official has confirmed that Rozier has been investigated, although the league did not find that he violated any rules.
“In March 2023, the NBA was alerted to unusual betting activity related to Terry Rozier’s performance in a game between Charlotte and New Orleans,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said. “The league conducted an investigation and did not find a violation of NBA rules. We are now aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York related to this matter and have been cooperating with that investigation.”
Reportedly, authorities feel that some of the people involved in the Porter situation may have bet a large amount of money against Rozier a year earlier. They may have had inside intel that prompted them to place the bet. With the current investigation, there is speculation that more people may be involved than previously thought.
Rozier has not been charged with a crime or accused of any wrongdoing, and his attorney, Jim Trusty, gave a statement.
“We are aware of the NBA’s 2023 investigation, which determined there was absolutely no wrongdoing by Mr. Rozier, and we are confident that the ongoing government investigation will arrive at the exact same conclusion.”
Eyes were drawn to
Rozier after a basketball contest on March 23, 2023, when Rozier played for the Charlotte Hornets. Suspicion was raised by U.S. Integrity, a firm that works with sports entities, gambling operators, and government agencies to monitor betting markets for suspicious activity. They warned the league that wages were being made for Rozier not meeting particular statistical benchmarks. Due to observations, some of the sportsbooks stopped taking bets on his stats for that game.U.S. Integrity sent out only three alerts about NBA games during the previous two seasons. Two of the alerts involved Porter, and the third involved Rozier.
There is also speculation that the gambling ring may have ties to college basketball as well.
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