Prosecutors allege that De‘Niro Laster, a childhood friend of Terry Rozier, has been intimidating witnesses in the case against the two men. Laster allegedly sent “rat” emojis to co-defendants in the case as an increasing number accept plea deals in exchange for reduced prison sentences.
Laster went to high school with Rozier in Cleveland, and prosecutors say the pair have remained close friends since. They both played college sports at universities in Kentucky, although Laster was less successful in football than Rozier in basketball and never made it to the NFL.
Prosecutors allege that Laster was the middleman in a scheme to fix betting markets on Rozier’s performance. Rozier allegedly told Laster he would exit a game early when playing for the Charlotte Hornets. Laster then sold this information to bettors, including Marves Fairley and Shane Hennen.
In the indictment unsealed in October, prosecutors say Rozier paid for Laster to travel to Philadelphia to collect money from Fairley. He then drove from Philadelphia to Rozier’s house in Charlotte, where the pair counted the tens of thousands of dollars together.
Guilty Pleas Spark ‘Rat’ Accusations
A growing number of those indicted in the NBA betting scheme and a rigged poker case have now accepted plea deals, including Fairley and Hennen.
“I agreed to pay a player to change their game performance to give me an advantage on bets I placed for myself and others,” Fairley admitted in court.
Rozier, however, continues to protest his innocence and has asked for the charges against him to be dismissed.
Prosecutors now claim that Laster has been intimidating witnesses through social media posts, including posting rat emojis. In a new legal filing, prosecutors say Laster and Rozier are part of a gang, GMB, which has a reputation for owning guns.
In one comment, Laster allegedly used an Instagram account with a photo of a dead GMB member to send a rat emoji. Using the image of a deceased member of GMB to call someone a rat appears to be calculated to intimidate and imply the threat of violence, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Berman wrote in the filing.
In another message to a co-defendant, Laster allegedly said they would avoid conviction if they stayed silent.
Nothing More Than a Dog Whistle, Says Rozier’s Lawyer
Rozier’s attorney, David Markus, dismissed the allegations as “nothing more than a dog whistle.”
“The government’s attempt to imply that it was some sort of criminal organization is absurd,” Markus told The Athletic. “Terry has never been charged with any firearms offense or with intimidating a witness, and nothing in this filing alleges that he did either. It is nothing more than a dog whistle and a desperate attempt by the government to taint Terry because it sees its case is falling apart.”
GMB stands for “Get More Blessings” and is the motto of Rozier’s Foundation, 12 Blessings, a nonprofit that raises money to empower disadvantaged kids, Markus added.
Laster Message Should Absolve Rozier, Says Lawyer
In a motion to dismiss the charges against Rozier, Markus said a message Laster sent shortly after the Hornets game on March 23 shows his client’s innocence.
On March 29, Laster wrote, “Dont tell chum bout the bet,” according to the filing. “Chum” is Rozier’s nickname. The unnamed recipient of the message replied, “Hell no.”
In a response filed shortly after, prosecutors said they have “developed evidence from multiple sources that this text chain does not relate to sports gambling.”
Prosecutors say it was on March 29 that Laster drove to Rozier’s home with cash he received from Fairley as payment for the player’s early exit from the Hornets game.
Rozier’s trial is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2027.
