Prosecutors allege that De'Niro Laster, a childhood friend of NBA player Terry Rozier, has been intimidating witnesses involved in a scandal linked to illegal betting. They claim Laster has been using social media to send "rat" emojis to co-defendants as more individuals accept plea deals in exchange for shorter prison sentences.
Laster and Rozier have a long-standing friendship dating back to their high school days in Cleveland. They both went on to play college sports in Kentucky; however, Laster's football career did not reach the NFL level achieved by Rozier in basketball.
The charges indicate that Laster acted as a middleman in a scheme designed to manipulate betting markets concerning Rozier's game performance. Allegedly, Rozier informed Laster of his intention to leave a game early while playing for the Charlotte Hornets, and Laster subsequently sold this insider information to bettors, including Marves Fairley and Shane Hennen.
The indictment unsealed in October highlights an instance where Rozier covered Laster's travel expenses to Philadelphia to collect money from Fairley. Afterward, Laster returned to Rozier's home in Charlotte, where they reportedly counted tens of thousands of dollars together.
Numerous co-defendants in the betting scheme have taken plea deals, including Fairley and Hennen. Fairley acknowledged in court, "I agreed to pay a player to change their game performance to give me an advantage on bets I placed for myself and others."
In contrast, Rozier has maintained his innocence and is seeking a dismissal of the charges against him. Recent accusations from prosecutors allege that Laster has been using witness intimidation tactics, via social media posts that include rat emojis. According to a new legal filing, both Laster and Rozier are associated with a gang known as GMB, which reportedly has a reputation for gun ownership.
In one of his posts, Laster allegedly employed an Instagram account featuring a deceased GMB member to send a rat emoji. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Berman stated in the filing that using an image of a dead gang member to label someone a rat appears to be an attempt to intimidate and connote a threat of violence.
In a separate communication with a co-defendant, Laster purportedly suggested they could evade conviction by remaining silent.
Rozier's attorney, David Markus, labeled the prosecution's claims as "nothing more than a dog whistle." He argued, "The government’s attempt to imply that it was some sort of criminal organization is absurd. Terry has never been charged with any firearms offense or with intimidating a witness, and nothing in this filing alleges that he did either."
Markus clarified that GMB stands for "Get More Blessings," which is the motto of Rozier's nonprofit foundation, 12 Blessings, dedicated to helping underprivileged children.
In a motion seeking to dismiss the charges against Rozier, Markus pointed to a message Laster sent shortly after a March 23 Hornets game as evidence of Rozier's innocence. On March 29, Laster texted, "Dont tell chum bout the bet," referring to Rozier by his nickname. The recipient responded, "Hell no."
Prosecutors, however, contend they have obtained evidence indicating this text conversation does not pertain to sports gambling. They allege that on March 29, Laster visited Rozier’s home with cash collected from Fairley as part of the payment for Rozier’s early departure from the game.
Rozier's trial is set for February 8, 2027.
