Terry Rozier’s attorney has accused federal prosecutors of using inflammatory language after they referenced the NBA guard while seeking to revoke the bond of his co-defendant, Deniro Laster.
Prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York allege that Laster attempted to intimidate potential witnesses and obstruct their investigation into an alleged NBA betting scheme. They have asked the judge to place him in custody, citing Instagram activity, communications made through intermediaries and alleged violations of his release conditions. Laster has pleaded not guilty, and the accusations have not been proven in court.
The new filing does not accuse Rozier of participating in the alleged witness intimidation. His attorney, David Markus, nevertheless objected to prosecutors describing Rozier and Laster as members of a group called GMB that allegedly has a reputation for possessing firearms. Markus characterized the reference as a “dog whistle,” arguing that it unnecessarily associated his client with violence despite Rozier not being implicated in the conduct at issue.
Prosecutors contend that Laster used an Instagram account to post a rat emoji aimed at a suspected cooperator. They argue that the post was intended to discourage witnesses from assisting the government, particularly because the account was connected to the image of a deceased member of the defendants’ childhood circle. The government also alleges that Laster used other people to contact potential witnesses and encouraged a co-defendant to remain silent.
The dispute unfolds inside the broader federal case involving Rozier’s early exit from a Charlotte Hornets game in March 2023. Prosecutors allege that Rozier provided Laster with advance information about his plan to leave the game and that gamblers used that information to place wagers on his statistical unders. Rozier and Laster have pleaded not guilty, and Rozier denies knowingly participating in any betting scheme.
Rozier’s defense recently highlighted a separate text message in which Laster allegedly told another person not to inform “Chum” about a bet. Rozier’s lawyers say “Chum” refers to their client and argue that the exchange shows he was unaware of the alleged wagering. Prosecutors dispute that interpretation and say the message was unrelated to sports gambling.
The latest filing therefore creates two distinct legal questions. The first is whether prosecutors have shown that Laster violated his bond conditions and attempted to influence witnesses. The second is whether references to Rozier, GMB and firearms were necessary to explain the alleged intimidation or unfairly placed the NBA guard under a cloud of suspicion in a filing that did not accuse him of witness tampering.
