In a shocking turn of events, former Kentucky linebacker De’Niro Laster was among the numerous people arrested as part of an explosive FBI investigation into unlawful NBA gambling.
De’Niro Laster was part of the Wildcats football team during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. As per an indictment shared by the New York Times, reported by Jon Hale from the Lexington Herald-Leader, Laster is accused of being involved in illegal sports betting alongside Terry Rozier, formerly of the Charlotte Hornets and a college basketball star at Louisville.
Laster, identified as a co-defendant, allegedly involved himself in a scheme to leverage insider information regarding Rozier’s intentional exit from a game in March 2023, notably citing an injury during the first quarter to manipulate prop bets. Interestingly, both Rozier and Laster graduated from the same high school in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
As per the reports from The Athletic, Laster was compensated with $100,000 by Marves Fairley—a listed defendant in this indictment—for revealing this insider information to others. Rozier exited that game prematurely after logging under 10 minutes of playtime.
Before transitioning to Kentucky, Laster was seen as a three-star recruit. he kicked off his college career at Minnesota, where he redshirted his freshmen year in 2013. In his next season, he played in nine games for the Golden Gophers, making six tackles and receiving Academic All-Big Ten honors. About to join UK in 2015, Laster had to wait out a transfer year before making his debut in 2016, playing in five games and recording 14 tackles and a sack before injury cut his season short. He later wrapped up his college career at North Carolina Central.
Comparatively, Laster’s allegations pale against those involving Chauncey Billups, head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. Unlike Rozier—who faced similar serious accusations earlier in the year yet was cleared by the NBA—Billups is implicated in orchestrating a complex illegal poker operation allegedly connected with the mafia.
Billups and another former player/coach, Damon Jones, are both entwined in this illegal poker scam, which reportedly dates back to 2019, featuring high-tech shenanigans like X-ray machines embedded in tables to peek at cards, glasses and contact lenses to read marked cards, and secret cameras for card surveillance.
Although Billups coached the Trail Blazers’ season opener last Wednesday, he isn’t named directly in the Rozier indictment. However, reports from The Athletic indicate he fits the description of “Co-Conspirator 8,” linking him to both controversies. Notably, Jones is referenced in both indictments.
This incredible story is bound to unravel even more! Stay tuned!
