Feds Seek to Jail Rozier Co-Defendant Over Witness Tampering
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York asked a judge to revoke Deniro Laster's bond and hold him in custody until trial, alleging he "repeatedly and flagrantly violated the conditions of his release" by contacting co-defendants directly and through intermediaries.
- Prosecutors cited Laster's Instagram accounts posting rat emojis on at least two occasions, along with his reputation as someone who "had a gun collection and who typically carried a gun," as evidence of intent to intimidate witnesses.
- Laster allegedly sold inside information to fellow sports bettors after Rozier told him he planned to leave a March 2023 Charlotte Hornets vs. New Orleans Pelicans game early, with the two agreeing to a bribe of roughly $70,000.
- Terry Rozier's attorneys cited a text from Laster reading "Dont tell chum bout the bet" — "Chum" being Rozier's nickname — as proof Rozier was unaware of the scheme; prosecutors countered they have evidence that exchange "does not relate to sports gambling."
- Both Rozier and Laster face charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud, have pleaded not guilty, and are scheduled for trial on Feb. 8, 2027; Rozier's attorneys have asked a judge to dismiss the charges.
Why it matters: If the judge grants the bond revocation, Laster loses pre-trial freedom and the prosecution secures a leverage point ahead of the Feb. 8, 2027 trial — while Rozier's defense simultaneously loses a co-defendant whose text message was the linchpin of his ignorance argument.
