Allegations of Match-Fixing
During a federal hearing on Thursday, a defendant in an illegal sports betting investigation, Marves Fairley, admitted to a judge that he compensated an NBA player to alter his performance for gambling purposes. According to reports, federal prosecutors confirmed that the player mentioned by Fairley is NBA guard Terry Rozier.
Fairley, while pleading guilty to seven felony charges related to his involvement in illicit sports betting, stated:
“I agreed to pay a player to change their game performance.”
Defense Response and Legal Context
Terry Rozier’s attorney, Jim Trusty, has strongly refuted the claims.
“There are some desperate men in this case with terrible criminal records and tons of exposure, and they know what to say to please these prosecutors,”Trusty stated in defense of his client.
This development follows an indictment from last year, which alleged that Rozier, who was a member of the Charlotte Hornets at the time of the reported March 2023 incident, informed an associate that he intended to leave a game early. Prosecutors claim this information was then sold to a betting group involving Fairley, allowing participants to profit from "under" prop bets.
Broad Scope of the Investigation
Federal authorities are preparing a new indictment against Rozier, which is expected to include charges of soliciting and accepting a bribe. Rozier, who was released by the Miami Heat in April 2025, has not participated in an NBA game since that time. He previously entered a plea of not guilty to two federal counts of wire fraud.
The investigation reaches beyond the NBA. Fairley was allegedly involved in a match-fixing operation targeting the Chinese Basketball Association and college basketball, resulting in indictments for 25 individuals. Furthermore, Fairley admitted to accessing private information regarding NBA players and placing bets on behalf of active athletes.
Sentencing and Penalties
Fairley is the second individual to plead guilty in this betting scandal, following former player and coach Damon Jones, who entered a plea last month for providing sensitive information regarding player availability.
Fairley is scheduled for sentencing next February. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison across six of the counts against him, with federal guidelines suggesting a sentence in the range of 8 to 10 years. Additionally, he has agreed to a financial penalty of $676,700.