Prosecutors allege witness tampering in Rozier betting case

Key Points:

• Federal prosecutors allege that Deniro Laster, co-defendant in the NBA gambling case involving Terry Rozier, attempted to tamper with witnesses by contacting co-defendants and posting rat emojis on Instagram as intimidation tactics.
• The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York has requested that Laster's bond be revoked and that he be held in custody until trial due to repeated violations of release conditions.
• Laster is accused of playing a key role in the scheme by selling insider information about Rozier leaving a March 2023 NBA game early to sports bettors, with an alleged bribe of around $70,000 involved.
• Rozier and Laster face charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud, both have pleaded not guilty, and their trial is set for February 8, 2027.
• Rozier's defense has sought to dismiss charges and used a text from Laster to argue Rozier's lack of awareness of the betting scheme, but prosecutors dispute the relevance of that message.