- Rozier arrested this morning at Orlando hotel after Heat played last night
- Billups arrested by FBI in Oregon
- FBI will announce more details at a news conference later this morning
Terry Rozier, a guard with the Miami Heat, and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, were both arrested this morning as part of a pair of FBI investigations into illegal gambling, according to media reports.
Billups Arrested Over Illegal Poker Operation
FBI director Kash Patel will be holding a news conference later this morning in New York to announce more details about the charges.
Rozier was arrested at an Orlando hotel. Law enforcement officers told ABC News that Rozier was among a group of people charged with running a criminal gambling operation using inside information to place unlawful wagers on NBA games.
According to ABC, Billups was arrested in Oregon, allegedly part of an illegal poker operation tied to the mafia.
Rozier in Last Year of Contract
The Heat played the Orlando Magic last night, but Rozier sat out the game with a hamstring injury. Rozier is in his 11th season in the NBA and was a key part of Boston Celtics’ playoff runs from 2016-19.Â
The guard signed a four-year, USD $96.3 million contract with the Charlotte Hornets in 2021, and was traded to the Heat in January 2024. He is set to earn a base salary of USD $26.6 million this season with the Heat, the last year of that deal.
Surge of Betting in 2023 Hornets Game
When Rozier was with the Hornets, before a March 23, 2023 game against the New Orleans Pelicans, ESPN reported that sportsbooks in multiple states flagged suspicious betting patterns on Rozier’s statistics. There was an unexpected surge of bets, 30 wagers in 46 minutes, by a professional bettor totaling $13,759, coming in on the Under on Rozier’ points, rebounds and assists. That caused sportsbooks to halt betting on Rozier. The guard played ten minutes that night before leaving the game, saying he had a foot injury.
Rozier’s lawyer has said in the past his client met with NBA and FBI officials, and the NBA said it did not find that league rules had been broken, after looking into the matter.
FBI News Conference Later This Morning
The charges come just a year after the NBA banned former Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter for life. Porter pleaded guilty in July 2024 to conspiracy charges related to betting on games and leaking information about his own injuries to influence prop bets.
Porter made an attempt to play professional basketball in Greece after pleading guilty but that was denied by a federal judge.
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