Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier wants a federal judge to dismiss the sports betting case against him. The 31-year-old argues that prosecutors are overextending the law with insufficient evidence to elevate a state-level issue to a federal crime.
Rozier Addresses the Supreme Court’s Decisions
In a motion to dismiss dated December 12 and made public this week, Rozier referenced several US Supreme Court decisions that he claims weaken the government’s case.
Having pleaded not guilty earlier this month, Rozier has been absent from the team since his October indictment for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
Rozier asserts that federal prosecutors are improperly using broad statutes against the Supreme Court’s intent, which was not to criminalize conduct typically regulated by states.
He also challenges the gap between the government’s public narrative and the actual allegations in the indictment.
All On a Game
Despite assertions of insider betting and game manipulation, Rozier argues the case concerns a more limited issue. The indictment alleges that certain bettors breached sportsbook terms against using non-public information and ‘straw betting.’
The motion stresses that the indictment focuses on a single game. Prosecutors claim that in March 2023, while Rozier was with the Charlotte Hornets, he informed a childhood friend he would fake an injury to leave a game early.
That friend allegedly shared the information with bettors. Rozier exited in the first quarter, scoring just five points and two assists, well below his typical performance.
A former federal prosecutor told Front Office Sports in October that concentrating on one game doesn’t necessarily narrow the case.
“You’re never going to get the full scope in the indictment,” the former prosecutor said. “In broad conspiracies, most evidence isn’t detailed in the indictment.”
The Ciminelli Example
Rozier’s filing also addressed concerns from prosecutors regarding his decision to fund his friend’s legal defense.
The government suggested this could lead to conflicts of interest, but Rozier dismissed the claim as baseless.
The motion emphasizes a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that overturned convictions in the “Buffalo Billion” case. In Ciminelli v. U.S., the Court unanimously rejected a broad interpretation of wire fraud.
Rozier’s attorneys argue the same principle applies here. “This is the precise theory of fraud that the Supreme Court rejected in Ciminelli,” the motion states.
Rozier contends that the charges represent “the kind of overreach the Court has cautioned against for decades.”
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