TITLE: Terry Rozier’s Lawyers Ask Judge to Throw Out Federal Betting Case
SLUG: terry-rozier-lawyers-seek-dismissal-of-federal-betting-charges
CONTENT:
Attorneys representing Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier have filed a motion in Brooklyn federal court seeking dismissal of the two counts Rozier faces over alleged illegal sports wagering, according to ESPN’s David Purdum.
Rozier, 31, pleaded not guilty earlier this month to one charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and another of conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was arraigned alongside friend and alleged co-conspirator Deniro Laster and was released on a $3 million bond secured by his Florida residence.
In the motion made public Tuesday, defense attorney Jim Trusty contends the government “overstepped” in accusing Rozier of wire fraud. Trusty argues the indictment fails to spell out a specific offense and instead attempts to impose prosecutors’ own standards for “integrity” in sports betting. If the wire fraud count is dismissed, Trusty says, the money-laundering allegation would collapse because it lacks a predicate crime.
The motion cites a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision that tightened requirements for wire fraud prosecutions. Former Eastern District of New York assistant U.S. attorney Paul Tuchmann noted that, under current precedent, prosecutors must prove the alleged scheme aimed to deprive a victim of money or property.
Rozier has been on administrative leave from the NBA since his October 23 arrest. The federal government has until Feb. 2 to file its response to the dismissal request.
Source: Hoops Rumors
