BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Marves Fairley pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in a scheme involving NBA betting fraud. The charges stem from a plot in which Fairley and associates used insider information obtained from NBA players and coaches to place fraudulent bets on professional basketball games.

Fairley admitted he purchased nonpublic information about the medical status of Los Angeles Lakers players LeBron James and Anthony Davis and paid former Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier to deliberately underperform in a 2023 game. “I agreed to pay a player to change their game performance to give me an advantage,” Fairley said during his court hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Berman identified Rozier as the player Fairley paid to alter his performance.

Fairley placed bets himself and on behalf of at least one professional NBA player but declined to name any individuals involved in the scheme. He also declined to comment to reporters outside the courtroom after his guilty plea hearing. Fairley has previously marketed himself on social media as a sports betting influencer and describes himself as a gambling guru.

According to verified facts, Fairley appeared before a federal judge in the Eastern District of New York to enter his guilty plea. He admitted in court that he and associates obtained insider information from NBA players and coaches to place fraudulent bets on NBA games.

Prosecutors plan to file new charges of sports bribery and honest services wire fraud against Rozier, who has maintained his innocence in the case. “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,” said Jim Trusty, attorney for Terry Rozier.

The federal government recommended that Fairley serve eight to 10 years in prison, citing his leadership role in the schemes and the profits he gained from illegal activity. Fairley is scheduled to be sentenced in February.