Eric ‘Spook’ Earnest. Marves ‘Vezino Locks’ Fairley. Shane ‘Sugar’ Heenan. And ‘Scary Terry’ Rozier.
The FBI indictment charging six individuals in a gambling case that has ensnared the NBA isn’t short on nicknames or internet culture. In the 23-page document unsealed Thursday morning, serious allegations including wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy were bundled with aliases common in the sports and betting world.
In Rozier’s case, the nickname ‘Scary Terry’ didn’t emerge until well into his professional career. While playing for the Boston Celtics in 2018, fans on Twitter/X and Reddit bestowed the nickname on the guard, ostensibly borrowing the name from a character on Cartoon Network series ‘Rick and Morty’ — the character itself is a spoof of the villainous Freddy Krueger from the ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ franchise.
According to the Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach, Rozier’s team gladly adopted the moniker and began selling branded merchandise, ultimately landing Rozier in legal trouble over the use of copyrighted intellectual property. The nickname also found its way to Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who saw his name trending earlier Thursday due to some obvious confusion.
Now the moniker is on the official FBI indictment alongside:
- Eric Earnest: also known as ‘Spook’
- Marves Fairley: also known as ‘Vez’, ‘Vezino’ and ‘Vezino Locks’
- Shane Hennen: also known as ‘Sugar’
- Damon Jones: alson known as ‘D Jones’ and ‘Dee Jones’
- Deniro Laster: also known as ‘Niro’, ‘Payso’ and ‘Peso’
- Terry Rozier: also known as ‘Scary Terry’ and ‘Chum’
- Nelson Alvarez: also known as ‘Spanish G’
- Ammar Awawdeh: also known as ‘Flapper Poker’ and ‘Flappy’
- Matthew Daddino: also known as ‘The Wrestler’
Fairley appears to have run an Instagram account providing betting advice under the alias ‘Vezino Locks’, with ‘locks’ serving as betting slang for a guaranteed winner, though often the name is used in jest. Billups’ nickname — ‘Mr. Big Shot’ — was not included in the indictment.
The FBI revealed the investigations were also given cheeky codenames, including ‘Operation Royal Flush’ and ‘Operation Nothing But Bet’. In total, more than 30 people were indicted across the investigations that the FBI linked together and featured ties to the mafia in New York.
‘We are in the process of reviewing the federal indictments announced today,’ The NBA said in a statement. ‘Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups are being placed on immediate leave from their teams, and we will continue to cooperate with the relevant authorities. We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and the integrity of our game remains our top priority.”