Ex-NBA star Terry Rozier expected to face new charges in alleged gambling scheme

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn notified former NBA player Terry Rozier this week that they expect to file a superseding indictment against him in the sweeping, multi-year gambling scandal that has ensnared the league.

NBC Universal Terry AND Rozier (Charly Triballeau / AFP via Getty Images file)

The Justice Department is expected to file new charges of sports bribery and honest services wire fraud against the former Miami Heat guard by mid-May, his attorney Jim Trusty told NBC News.

Trusty said the government told him about the development two hours before a hearing at which he argued to dismiss the original indictment, which accused Rozier of helping gamblers place bets on his own performance.

According to that initial indictment, filed last year, federal prosecutors alleged that Rozier faked a foot injury during a March 2023 game while playing for the Charlotte Hornets. Before the game, Rozier allegedly tipped off a group of bettors, who wagered on his plan to leave early — generating tens of thousands of dollars in profits.

Rozier pleaded not guilty last year to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

“It’s a sign that their wire fraud theory in the original indictment is a real stretch,” Trusty told NBC News. “By superseding, they’re throwing more stuff against the wall and hoping something sticks.”

Still, the Justice Department has argued it has evidence that Rozier solicited and accepted a bribe for his alleged conduct in the scheme.

Advertisement

The prospect of additional charges is one of the latest developments in two massive illegal gambling cases brought by prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York last year: one involving the rigging of Mafia-backed poker games and another on the use of nonpublic information to place bets on several NBA games. Together, the two alleged criminal operations generated over $10 million in ill-gotten gains, according to the Justice Department.

More than 30 people, including members and associates of four major Mafia crime families, Rozier, Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and ex-NBA player Damon Jones, have been implicated in the gambling scandal.

On Tuesday, Jones became the first defendant to plead guilty in the investigation. Appearing before a federal judge in Brooklyn, he admitted to feeding inside information to sports gamblers, helping organize fixed poker games, and serving as a “face card” to attract high-end bettors. Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud conspiracy across the two separate cases and is scheduled to be sentenced in January.

Another key figure, Marves Fairley, intends to plead guilty to charges stemming from the sports betting case, according to court documents filed this week.

Prosecutors alleged that Fairley used non-public information about several NBA games, including the one involving Rozier, to place fraudulent wagers.

Fairley also intends to plead guilty in a separate NCAA point-shaving case in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania over allegedly recruiting players who would accept bribes to influence games, the documents showed.

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn and Pennsylvania have asked that Fairley’s two cases be consolidated so that he can enter his expected guilty pleas and be sentenced in New York.

Ex-NBA star Terry Rozier expected to face new charges in alleged gambling scheme

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn notified former NBA player Terry Rozier this week that they expect to file a superseding indictment aga...
Police search for man accused of hammer attack on students in western Tokyo

Police have launched amanhuntfor a 44-year-old man in westernTokyoafter he attacked high school students with a hammer and sprayed an unknown liquid at the responding officers.

The Independent US Representative. A police officer in Tokyo, Japan  (Getty)

According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, an emergency call came in at around 7.20am local time, with a caller reporting that “aman with a hammer is assaulting people” on a street in Fussa city.

Police say the suspect, identified as 44-year-old Teruyuki Takabayashi, attacked two students with a hammer before confronting officers at the scene and spraying them with an unidentified liquid, Kyodo News reported.

Five people were injured, with one student sustaining a serious injury to his left eye. The incident unfolded in a quiet residential neighbourhood about 700m northwest of JR Fussa station, unsettling residents during the early morning rush, local reports said.

Investigators believe the violence may have been triggered by a brief confrontation shortly before the attack. The suspect’s mother had reportedly asked a group of seven high school students gathered near their home to keep the noise down.

Although the students agreed, they did not leave the area. Soon after, Mr Takabayashi allegedly emerged with a hammer andbegan attackingthem,The Japan Timesreported.

Advertisement

As police arrived at the scene, the man reportedly retreated into his home and barricaded himself inside. Officers said he threatened them with what appeared to be a survival knife.

After ensuring his mother was safely removed, police say the suspect began spraying a yellow liquid at them from inside the house.

Officers eventually entered the home around four and a half hours later, but found it empty. Items resembling multiple hammers and a survival knife were recovered.

Investigators reviewed security camera footage, which showed the suspect slipping out through a back exit while officers were dealing with the liquid being sprayed from inside.

Authorities have since launched a full search operation and are treating the case asattempted murder. Police also revealed that Mr Takabayashi had previously been arrested in October 2023 on suspicion of attempted murder in a separate incident involving a teenager who was allegedly attacked with an axe.

Meanwhile, heavy police presence remains in the neighbourhood as the manhunt continues.

Japan has strict gun laws and violent crime remains rare, but there have been several high-profile knife attacks in recent years.

Police search for man accused of hammer attack on students in western Tokyo

Police have launched amanhuntfor a 44-year-old man in westernTokyoafter he attacked high school students with a hammer and sprayed an u...
What would a Spirit Airlines shutdown mean for travelers?

What happens if Spirit Airlines shuts down? 04:03

CBS News

ASpirit Airlines shutdownwould ripple through commercial aviation, likely raising higher fares as the budget carrier exits the market, industry experts said.

"Any time you have a reduction in capacity and demand increases, airfares have nowhere to go but up. And that doesn't count the fares that are already rising because of the spike in fuel prices," CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg told CBS News Boston.

With a $500 million federal bailout stalled, Spirit planned to shut down as early as Saturday morning without a last-minute intervention and Trump administration officials have been informed, CBS News reported.

Losing Spirit, known for its ultra-low fares, would likely mean costlier tickets on other airlines. A CBS News analysis of Cirium data, a provider of aviation analytics, found average fares jumped 23%, or roughly $60, for a round-trip flight when Spirit exited a route. Overall passenger volume also fell 20% after the carrier left a market.

Spirit's failure could boost fares at a time when ticket prices are already elevated due tohigher jet fuel costsfrom theIran war.

What if I have a ticket for a future Spirit flight?

Customers with tickets for future Spirit flights are entitled to full refunds if the airline goes out of business.

"If you're holding a Spirit ticket for a flight that hasn't happened yet, you'll get that back from your credit card company under federal credit laws," Greenberg said.

Still, travelers may encounter obstacles obtaining their refunds.

"Watch what happens very closely, and if the airline ceases operation, call the credit card you used to buy the ticket and dispute the charge," Eric Rosen, director of travel content at The Points Guy, told CBS News. "The result is a non-delivery of service, which is grounds for disputing a charge."

Spirit customers who paid cash or used airline loyalty points could be out of luck, Rosen said, noting that those points cannot be transferred to other airlines' loyalty programs.

Still, Julian Kheel, founder of Points Path, advises against canceling a ticket for an upcoming Spirit flight.

Advertisement

"Canceling your ticket now without a promise of a refund will eliminate all protections. Instead, hang on to your ticket and file a chargeback with your bank," he said.

Other airlines to the rescue?

An abrupt shutdown would mean some travelers may have to turn to other airlines for a flight home. United Airlines said Friday it is "preparing to support Spirit customers and employees" and will provide more details soon. American Airlines also announced steps it is taking to help stranded passengers if Spirit halts service.

"The American Airlines team is prepared to do all it can to support Spirit Airlines customers and team members," it said in a statement to CBS News. "To help customers whose travel may be disrupted, we immediately implemented fare caps on Main Cabin tickets for Spirit routes where we also offer nonstop service and will continue to support as many customers as possible."

Such fare caps would limit American's prices but could still force Spirit customers to pay more than they expected.

"They said they'll offer rescue fares to Spirit passengers, but it's unclear if they'll be offered on every route Spirit served," industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group, told CBS News.

JetBlueandFrontieralso posted statements saying they are ready to assist affected travelers.

Harteveldt urged customers to keep copies of their Spirit itineraries in case another airline requires them.

"These rescue fares may be less expensive than the normal fares these airlines would charge, but would probably be more expensive than the Spirit fares," Harteveldt added.

More pressure on fares

Harteveldt said Spirit's collapse would affect airfares depending on how quickly other airlines fill those routes, but expanding operations could prove difficult before the busy summer season.

"Airlines' plans have already been committed for the summer. But over time, within three to six months, I would not be surprised to see Froniter, Avelo, Breeze and Allegiant all take steps to enter markets that Spirit served," Harteveldt said, citing some of Spirit's low-cost competitors. "I do expect a lot of budget airlines will try to backfill Spirit somehow."

Kheel said Spirit helped keep airfares in check, even if it wasn't the most popular with consumers.

"With them soon to be gone, I think we're likely to see an increase," he said. "That's on top of the airfare increases we're already seeing from the increase in jet fuel prices. This is only going to make that situation worse."

What would a Spirit Airlines shutdown mean for travelers?

What happens if Spirit Airlines shuts down? 04:03 ASpirit Airlines shutdownwould ripple through commercial aviation, likely raisi...
Pope Leo appoints three bishops critical of Trump amid feud with White House officials

Pope Leo XIVhas appointed three new bishops who have previously criticized the Trump administration or its supporters amid his apparent feud with the White House.

The Independent US

Pope Leo has criticized President Donald Trump’swar with Iran,called histhreat to annihilate Iranian civilization“truly unacceptable,” and saidhe’s not afraid of his administration. The president has called Leo “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy,” while Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, has said the pope should be “careful when he talks about matters of theology.”

Pope Leo’s new bishops —Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, Robert Boxie III and Gary Studniewski — have track records of criticizing the Trump administration. Menjivar-Ayala will serve as the new bishop for West Virginia, while Boxie and Studniewski will be the auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Washington.

Menjivar-Ayala, 55, is a formerly undocumented immigrant from El Salvador who was brought to the U.S. in the trunk of a car, according toThe Washington Post. He criticized Trump's hardline immigration last year.

“For weeks now, the federal government has pursued a ‘shock and awe’ campaign of aggressive threats and highly visible operations of questionable legality that go far beyond mere immigration ‘enforcement,’” he wrote in an April 2025 op-ed for theNational Catholic Reporter.

Pope Leo XIV appointed three new bishops who have criticized the Trump administration (AFP via Getty Images)

Boxie hascondemned attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which the Trump administration has sought to cut from the federal government.

“In a lot of ways we have made great progress, but in so many ways, I feel like we’re regressing,” he toldOSV Newslast year. “It’s really frustrating — especially this moment that we’re living in. The attacks on ‘DEI’ — I don’t even know what that means anymore. It’s a term that’s been hijacked. It means a lot of things to a lot of different people.”

Advertisement

“I think at its core, it’s what America is all about. We are a diverse nation with people from all over the world. Diversity is a good thing. Diversity is of God. And the fact that it’s been turned into something negative — or something that should be avoided or not talked about — just flies in the face of who we are as Americans,” he added.

Studniewski has criticized the Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, calling the attack “very disturbing, very disheartening,” according to theCatholic News Service.

“It was a normal day, until all that sickening unrest in the afternoon,” he added.

Leo and the Trump administration have sought to downplay reports of apparent tension. Leo said on April 18 it is “not in my interest at all” to debate Trump and suggested the narrative about them has “not been accurate in all of its aspects.”

Pope Leo XIV shakes hands with Vice President JD Vance. The vice president has warned the pope should be 'careful when he talks about matters of theology' (AFP via Getty Images)

That same day, Vance said he was “grateful” to Leo for addressing the issue.

“While the media narrative constantly gins up conflict–and yes, real disagreements have happened and will happen–the reality is often much more complicated,” Vancewrote on X.

“Pope Leo preaches the gospel, as he should, and that will inevitably mean he offers his opinions on the moral issues of the day. The President–and the entire administration–work to apply those moral principles in a messy world,” he added.

The Independenthas contacted the White House and Holy See for comment.

Pope Leo appoints three bishops critical of Trump amid feud with White House officials

Pope Leo XIVhas appointed three new bishops who have previously criticized the Trump administration or its supporters amid his apparent...
US Congress passes 45-day surveillance law extension

By AJ Vicens

Reuters

April 30 (Reuters) - Congress on Thursday passed a 45-day extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, prolonging ‌a debate about a section of the spy law that ‌critics say enables the abusive surveillance of American citizens.

The law was set to expire ​at midnight on Thursday after having already been extended for 10 days on April 20.

Proponents of the law, which allows warrantless searches of data scooped up by America’s intelligence agencies, say it provides authorities ‌with an unparalleled tool ⁠to protect U.S. national security. Critics say it gives law enforcement an end run around constitutional protections against ⁠unreasonable search and seizure, and they have long sought to add a warrant requirement.

The extension comes after the House passed a bill on ​Wednesday that ​included restrictions on the Federal Reserve’s ​ability to issue digital currency, ‌something Senate Republican leaders saw as a non-starter.

Advertisement

With time dwindling to hammer out the differences between the House and Senate, lawmakers decided to punt, passing the extension in the Senate via unanimous consent and a 261-111 vote in the House.

The extension is likely to ‌do little more than draw out the ​fight over renewal ever further.

Reformers are ​still pressing for a warrant ​requirement. The White House, the intelligence community and ‌Congressional leadership have all lobbied furiously ​for the renewal ​of the law without one, saying past abuses had been addressed as part of 2024 reforms.

“I don’t know what they think, ​what’s going to ‌change in 45 days,” said Pennsylvania Republican Representative Scott Perry, ​who voted against the Senate’s extension.

(Reporting by AJ Vicens ​in Detroit, Editing by Chris Reese)

US Congress passes 45-day surveillance law extension

By AJ Vicens April 30 (Reuters) - Congress on Thursday passed a 45-day extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, pr...

 

INS MAG © 2015 | Distributed By My Blogger Themes | Designed By Templateism.com