Prosecutors allege witness tampering in Rozier betting case
Federal prosecutors filed court filings alleging that Deniro Laster, co-defendant in Terry Rozier's NBA gambling case, violated his release conditions by posting rat emojis on Instagram and attempting to contact co-defendants. Prosecutors asked a judge to revoke Laster's bond and hold him in custody until trial, scheduled for Feb. 8, 2027.
Federal prosecutors escalated their allegations against Deniro Laster, the childhood friend and co-defendant of NBA player Terry Rozier in an ongoing gambling case, by filing court claims that he repeatedly violated the conditions of his release through witness intimidation.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York filed a court filing on Tuesday alleging that Laster has repeatedly and flagrantly violated his release conditions, according to ESPN's reporting. The filing marks a significant shift from the original betting fraud and money laundering charges to include allegations of obstruction.
Prosecutors alleged, per ESPN, that Instagram accounts associated with Laster posted rat emojis on at least two occasions. The prosecution argued that Laster's use of the rat emoji, combined with his reputation as someone with a gun collection who typically carried a gun, suggested an intent to intimidate witnesses. Additionally, prosecutors alleged that Laster attempted to contact co-defendants in the case both directly and through intermediaries, in violation of his bond conditions.
The underlying charges stem from a March 2023 game between the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. According to prosecutors' allegations, when Rozier informed Laster that he planned to leave the game early, Laster sold that information to fellow sports bettors so they could place fraudulent bets. Prosecutors allege that Rozier and Laster agreed to a bribe of roughly 70,000 dollars in exchange for the information.
Rozier and Laster are each facing charges that include conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud. Both have pleaded not guilty. Rozier's attorneys have asked a judge to dismiss the charges against him, and filed a court response arguing that a text message from Laster saying "Dont tell chum bout the bet" (with Chum being Rozier's nickname) indicates that Rozier was not aware of the alleged betting scheme. Prosecutors responded that they have evidence suggesting the text exchange does not relate to sports gambling, per ESPN's reporting.
Prosecutors asked a judge to revoke Laster's bond and hold him in custody until trial. An attorney for Laster did not immediately reply to ESPN's request for comment. Trial is currently scheduled for Feb. 8, 2027. A status conference in the case for all defendants is scheduled for Tuesday.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York alleges that Laster repeatedly violated release conditions through social media posts and direct contact with co-defendants, escalating the case from gambling fraud to witness intimidation.
The prosecution's motion to revoke Laster's bail will test whether the court views his conduct as serious enough to incarcerate him before trial and whether the case's trajectory toward witness intimidation allegations strengthens or complicates the government's betting fraud theory. How the judge rules on bond revocation in the coming weeks will signal the case's momentum heading into trial.
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Sources
Single-source report. As published, only ESPN had reported this development. No independent outlet had corroborated it.
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