Ex-Celtics Enforcer Behind Bars in $265K Vegas Casino Scandal

Former Boston Celtics forward Marcus Morris Sr. was denied bail after appearing in a Florida court for the first time since his arrest on July 27 for felony fraud.

Morris Sr.’s legal woes stemmed from allegedly scamming $265,000 from two prominent Las Vegas casinos, TMZ reports.

“According to court documents we obtained, the NBA player allegedly got $115,000 from the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino via bad checks in May 2024 … and never paid it back when the checks bounced,” TMZ reported.

Morris Sr. performed a similar scam in June 2024, receiving $150,000 from Wynn Las Vegas Hotel and Casino through checks “he knew” wouldn’t be cashed, according to TMZ.

The former Celtics enforcer will remain behind bars, waiting for extradition to Las Vegas, the TMZ report added. He will appear at another court hearing in August.

The presiding judge denied Morris Sr.’s lawyers’ motion for bond, saying “she would only release” the former Celtics player to Nevada authorities “for extradition — or if the warrants that were issued for his arrest were withdrawn.”

Morris Sr. has an estimated net worth of $21 million in 2025, according to realitytea.com. He earned over $106 million in salaries across 13 seasons in the NBA, per Spotrac.

‘Lesson Learned’ The Hard Way

His twin brother, Markieff Morris, attended the hearing. Following the news of Marcus’ arrest, Markieff slammed the “fraud” headlines.

“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 (expletive). They could have come to the crib for all that. When y’all hear the real story on this … All I can say is Lesson learned.”

The twin brothers’ business manager, Yony Noy, also came to Marcus’ defense, downplaying the news.

“Just so everyone understands this is zero fraud here or whatever crap outlets have said regarding fake checks or whatever the hell,” Noy wrote on X. “This is due to an outstanding marker with a casino. If you have over $1,200 they can issue a warrant for your arrest. Absolute insanity!”

According to Hofland and Tomsheck, Las Vegas criminal lawyers, a casino marker functions like a short-term loan from the casino.

“Patrons sign a promissory note agreeing to repay the marker within a designated time frame, typically 30 days. If the marker remains unpaid, the casino can convert the marker into a check and attempt to withdraw the funds directly from the patron’s bank account. If the withdrawal fails due to insufficient funds or a closed account, the casino can initiate criminal proceedings.

“In Nevada, unpaid casino markers are treated as “bad checks,” and failing to repay them can result in criminal charges.”

From Boston Enforcer to Casino Scammer?

 

 

Marcus Morris Sr. played for two seasons in Boston, averaging 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 129 games.

He arrived in a 2017 trade from Detroit in exchange for Avery Bradley and a 2019 second-round pick, which the Celtics used to draft Tremont Waters.

Morris played a key role in the Celtics’ 2017-18 Eastern Conference Finals run, averaging over 10 points and leading the team in rebounding. On top of his numbers, he provided toughness for the Celtics team that featured Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.

Aside from the Celtics, Morris played for the Houston Rockets, who drafted him 14th overall in 2011, Phoenix Suns, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

After hanging up his sneakers, he frequently appeared on ESPN’s morning sports shows “Get Up” and “First Take” in recent months.