Terry Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, dismissed federal charges that his client faked an injury to facilitate illegal sports betting, arguing that Rozier lost money on his shoe endorsement deal by missing games at the end of the 2022-2023 season.
The federal indictment alleges that Rozier informed co-defendant De’Niro Laster that he would prematurely withdraw himself from a March 23, 2023 game in the first quarter due to an alleged injury. Rozier left the Charlotte Hornets-New Orleans Pelicans game and missed the final eight games of the season.
Trusty appeared on The Will Cain Show on Fox News on Tuesday to defend his client against the charges that were revealed last week.
“This charge basically suggests that he faked the injury, which is absurd. People knew about it. Medical people knew about it. The staff knew about it. Friends knew about it,” Trusty said. “And so when he played that game and the next five or six games to end the season, he actually lost money.”
Trusty told Front Office Sports that Rozier’s shoe contract was prorated based on matches played. He said Rozier “lost a significant amount of money by sitting out the last five to six games of that season.”
Rozier had a boot deal with Puma until the end of the 2022-2023 season, although financial details remain secret. He wore Nike shoes exclusively the following season before switching to Skechers for most of last season.
When asked directly whether Rozier provided inside information for illegal gambling purposes, Trusty responded emphatically.
“Yes, that’s easy to answer. That’s absolutely not the case. Never happened,” Trusty said. “I think the prosecutor basically knows, but they liked the idea of having him as a trophy in this case, as a reflection of the larger case with Chauncey Billups.”
The indictment details eight separate bets on Rozier unders, totaling $265,300 in stakes. It remains unclear whether Rozier received any money from the alleged scheme.
The indictment states that on April 1, 2023, defendants Marves Fairley and Laster counted money at Rozier’s home in Charlotte.
#Terry #Roziers #attorney #claims #shoe #contract #refutes #gambling #allegations