Federal prosecutors have requested that a judge revoke Deniro Laster's bail and keep him in custody until the trial begins. They claim that Laster, a childhood friend of NBA player Terry Rozier and a co-defendant in the case, has repeatedly breached the conditions of his release and attempted to interfere with the ongoing NBA betting investigation.
While the filing does not implicate Rozier in any witness tampering, it asserts that Laster has “repeatedly and flagrantly” violated his release terms by trying to obstruct justice and influence witnesses.
In the court documents, it is noted that Laster contacted another defendant around December 2025, suggesting that they would be in a better position to defend against the charges if they refrained from cooperating with law enforcement. This communication allegedly violated a condition of his bond that prohibits him from contacting co-defendants without legal counsel present.
Additionally, prosecutors highlighted instances where Laster's Instagram accounts featured rat emojis, arguing that these posts were intended to intimidate a potential witness. The term “rat” is defined in the filing as someone viewed as a “snitch” or informant.
Prosecutors also emphasized Laster's reputation for possessing firearms, suggesting that this influenced how witnesses perceived the alleged threats. Witnesses were reportedly aware of his access to guns, which prosecutors argue adds weight to their claims.
They concluded that revoking Laster's bail is essential to ensure compliance with court orders, prevent further criminal activity, maintain the integrity of the proceedings, and protect witnesses.
As of Wednesday, Laster's attorney had not publicly addressed these allegations.
Meanwhile, Rozier's attorney, David Markus, dismissed any implication that Rozier was part of a criminal organization referred to as GMB, claiming it stands for “Get More Blessings,” a phrase used by Rozier and his friends since high school. He criticized the government's portrayal of GMB as a criminal group as baseless.
Markus noted that Rozier has never faced charges related to firearms or witness intimidation, labeling the government's insinuations as a desperate attempt to undermine Rozier as their case weakens.
In a recent filing, Markus referenced a message from Laster in 2023 as evidence of Rozier's innocence, where Laster allegedly told someone not to inform Rozier about a bet, arguing that it shows Laster was trying to keep Rozier in the dark about the betting activities. Prosecutors, however, countered that this interpretation is flawed and does not pertain to sports.