Ex-Knick Marcus Morris Sr. allegedly stole over $250K from casinos, denied bail in fraud case
The NBA player, a former Knick, was denied bond Tuesday after he allegedly received $265,000 from two major Las Vegas casinos in 2024 through bad checks that he did not pay back when they didn't cash, according to TMZ.
Morris allegedly got $115,000 from the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino and $150,000 from performing a similar scam at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel and Casino.
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3 Marcus Morris Sr.'s mugshot after being arrested on fraud charges on Sunday.
The 35-year-old has been in custody in Broward County, Fla., since Sunday.
Morris' attorneys asked that he be granted bond in order to handle his debts, which they told the judge that Morris was in the process of paying.
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His lawyers argued that releasing him would allow him to expedite paying back the Las Vegas casino debts, but the judge denied these requests and said Morris would only be released if it were to Nevada authorities for extradition or if the arrest warrants were dropped.
Morris' arrest came on Sunday at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport as he was booked on a charge of fraud — insufficient funds check charge.
Morris' agent, Yony Noy, seemed to imply that Morris' debts were far smaller.
3 Marcus Morris #13 of the New York Knicks scored two at AT&T Center on October 23, 2019.
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'Just so everyone understands this is zero fraud here or whatever crap outlets have said regarding fake checks or whatever the hell,' Noy posted Sunday to X. 'This is due to an outstanding marker with a casino. Apparently if you have over $1,200 they can issue a warrant for your arrest. Absolute insanity!'
Morris' twin, Markieff, also expressed his annoyance.
'The wording is crazy. Damn for that amount of money they'll embarrass you in the airport with your family,' Markieff wrote on X. 'They got y'all really thinking bro did some fraud s–t. They could have came to the crib for all that. When y'all hear the real story on this s–t man. All I can say is Lesson learned. Bro will tell y'all tomorrow. This weird s–t gave me a headache. Can't stop nothin!'
3 Marcus (left) and Markieff Morris stand next to each other mid-game.
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Markieff was in attendance at the hearing Tuesday, and Marcus another hearing scheduled for late August.
While he hasn't officially retired from the NBA, Morris hasn't played since the 2023-24 season and has since made regular appearances on ESPN's 'First Take.'
After being drafted 14th overall in 2011, Morris has spent his 13-year career with eight different teams, including the Knicks, when he averaged a career-high 19.6 points per game in the 2019-20 season.
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