As Damon Jones Prepares To Plead Guilty, New Charges Pending Against Rozier

TL;DR

Terry Rozier faces new bribery charges as Damon Jones prepares to plead guilty in a sports betting scandal. Rozier is accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, with potential penalties of up to 20 years in prison.

Key points

Terry Rozier faces new bribery charges.
Damon Jones is set to plead guilty to wire fraud and money laundering.
Rozier's charges could lead to up to 20 years in prison.
Rozier remains a free agent but is still paid his salary.

Mentioned in this story

Terry RozierDamon JonesNBACharlotte HornetsMiami Heat

Kamil Krzaczynski/IMAGN Hours before former NBA player Terry Rozier’s lawyers were set to argue that his sports betting scandal case should be dismissed Monday, federal prosecutors said they will bring new charges. “We have developed evidence that Mr. Rozier solicited and accepted a bribe,” said Kaitlin Ferrell, a prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York, according to a report in *The Athletic*. Ferrell revealed that the government had shared this information with Rozier’s attorneys two hours before the hearing. The Eastern District of New York is the fulcrum of multiple gambling cases brought this year. Tuesday, defendant Damon Jones is set to change his plea to guilty. Jones, who played for 11 seasons in the NBA, is charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy and two counts of money laundering. Jones initially pled not guilty in November, but he is expected to change his plea in both a wide-reaching sports betting investigation and in a rigged poker-game case that also involved NBA great Chauncey Billups. Jones will be the first defendant in either case to plead guilty. In the sports betting case, Jones is accused of providing inside information that LeBron James would not play in a Feb. 9, 2023, game against Milwaukee. Jones is alleged to have texted to gamblers: “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out! [Player 3] is out tonight. Bet enough so Djones can eat.”

New charges could affect current charges

Farrell said in court that Rozier “deprived the NBA and the Charlotte Hornets of his honest services,” and prosecutors are planning in May to bring charges including bribery in sports and honest services wire fraud. *Courthouse News Service* reported Monday that Rozier’s lawyer said the new charges indicate that the federal government plans to bring “new theories,” but Farrell said “we’re not changing our theory.” The judge did not rule on the motion to dismiss, and the promise of new charges would mean that even if Judge D’Arcy Hall dismisses the current charges, the new charges could move forward. Hall told the lawyers, per *Courthouse News Service*, that she’s “not going to do this twice,” and that they should consider the new charges as they plot strategy. Rozier is accused of fixing games and is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each count has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. He in December and was released on $3 million bond. At that time, Rozier was also banned from gambling.

Q&A

What new charges are being brought against Terry Rozier?

Terry Rozier is facing new charges including bribery in sports and honest services wire fraud.

What is Damon Jones pleading guilty to?

Damon Jones is set to plead guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and two counts of money laundering.

What are the potential penalties for Terry Rozier's charges?

Each charge against Terry Rozier carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

How has Terry Rozier's legal situation affected his NBA career?

Terry Rozier was waived by the Miami Heat and is currently a free agent, but he continues to receive his $26.4 million salary.