Terry Rozier’s attorneys are preparing to argue that his co-defendant, Deniro Laster, is guilty in the federal NBA gambling case; a strategy that has prompted both men to ask a judge to separate their trials.
In a joint motion filed Wednesday, October 21, in Brooklyn federal court, Rozier’s attorney, David Oscar Markus, and Laster’s attorney, M. Evan Corcoran, warned that a joint trial would effectively leave Laster facing two prosecution teams: the federal government and Rozier’s own defense attorneys. And that’s just the beginning of what could become a messy legal showdown between the two defendants (and longtime friends).
The government staunchly opposes the request. The federal sports betting case centers on a March 23, 2023, game between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans. The feds allege Rozier agreed to leave the game early so associates could profit from bets predicting he would finish below certain statistical totals. According to the indictment, Rozier allegedly informed Laster of the plan shortly before the game. Laster then passed the information to others who placed bets and spread the information.
Credit: AP Photo/Mike StewartFederal prosecutors also allege Laster traveled to Philadelphia five days later, collected tens of thousands of dollars in gambling proceeds and delivered the money to Rozier’s Charlotte home, where the two counted it together. But Rozier’s attorney, David Markus, maintains he knew nothing about the bets and left the game because he was genuinely injured.
Markus, a prominent criminal defense attorney whose past high-profile clients include Ghislaine Maxwell and former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, is preparing to make the case that Laster acted without Rozier’s knowledge.
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In Wednesday’s filing, the defense revealed that the NBA recently produced medical records that attorneys say conclusively establish Rozier’s foot injury. They also pointed out that Rozier exceeded his projected rebound total during the game, causing several bets allegedly connected to the scheme to lose.
And the biggest bombshell? Rozier’s attorneys disclosed a text message allegedly recovered from Laster’s phone.
“Don’t tell chum bout the bet,” Laster allegedly wrote to an associate on March 29, 2023. According to the defense, “Chum” is Rozier.
The message was allegedly sent on the same day prosecutors claim Laster collected gambling proceeds in Philadelphia. Rozier’s defense argues that the message supports his position that Laster was involved in gambling activity without Rozier’s knowledge.
The growing divide between the two defendants also brings up an earlier controversy over who was paying Laster’s legal bills. In December 2025, prosecutors flagged concerns that Rozier was reportedly paying for Laster’s attorney, M. Evan Corcoran, even though the two men might have conflicting interests in the case. Laster and Rozier are longtime pals, and Laster reportedly signed a sworn statement acknowledging the potential conflict and agreeing to move forward anyway.
Markus and Corcoran now argue that their competing strategies make a fair joint trial impossible.
“Mr. Rozier’s lawyers will spend as much effort prosecuting Mr. Laster in this trial as the government,” the motion states. The defense cites several federal cases in which judges separated defendants’ trials because one defense team intended to implicate another defendant, including the 2017 securities fraud prosecution involving Martin Shkreli. Shkreli is the former pharmaceutical executive who became infamous for dramatically raising the price of a lifesaving medication. In that case, the judge separated Shkreli’s trial from that of his co-defendant, Evan Greebel, amid concerns about conflicting defense strategies and potential prejudice. Rozier and Laster’s attorneys argue that a similar problem exists here: If the two men are tried together, Rozier’s lawyers could effectively become another team arguing against Laster, leaving him to defend himself not only against federal prosecutors but also against his own co-defendant.
Rozier’s attorneys argue that forcing the men to stand trial together would prejudice Laster while restricting Rozier’s ability to present a complete defense. Both defendants are currently scheduled for trial on February 8, 2027.
Rather than delay proceedings, Markus and Corcoran propose holding two consecutive trials lasting approximately a week and a half each, beginning with Rozier. Corcoran does not object to Rozier going first.
Over the summer, the case sparked a separate fight over potentially prejudicial public statements, with prosecutors and defense attorneys accusing each other of making remarks that could influence public opinion and potentially taint the jury pool.
U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall has not ruled on the request in the October 21 filing.
The post Terry Rozier’s Defense Drops Bombshell Text in NBA Gambling Case: ‘Don’t Tell Chum Bout the Bet’ appeared first on LAmag.
