CHARLOTTE — A former Charlotte Hornets player is in custody as part of an FBI sports betting gambling investigation.
Federal investigators blew the whistle on what they call a sprawling, illegal gambling operation in the NBA.
According to ABC News, Terry Rozier was arrested Thursday morning. He’s among six people accused of turning professional basketball into a criminal gambling operation by using inside information to place unlawful wagers.
Rozier played for the Hornets from 2019 to 2024 before he was traded to the Miami Heat. The FBI specifically said the Hornets were one of four teams impacted by this scandal.
The FBI and the U.S. Attorney for Eastern New York Joseph Nocella, Jr. held a news conference Thursday morning.
The U.S. Attorney says Rozier and five others would bet on inside information, including when players would be sitting out future games or when players would pull themselves out early. He says they placed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bets and made millions. They were placed in online sportsbooks and in person at casinos.
“My message to the defendants who have been rounded up today is this,” Nocella said. “Your winning streak has ended. Your luck has run out. Violating the law is a losing proposition, and you can bet on that.”
Rozier’s attorney responded to his charges, saying Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.
Channel 9 is reaching out to the Hornets for comment.
Federal officials said there are two separate investigations here. The second involves 31 defendants in a nationwide scheme to rig illegal poker games.
Investigators say high-tech cheating technology was used to steal money, and there were underground games that were fixed, backed by the mafia.
The head coach of the Portland Trailblazers Chauncey Billups was arrested in connection with that case.
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