A former Kentucky linebacker was arrested in connection with the NBA's betting scandal

A former Kentucky linebacker was among the 30-plus people arrested on Thursday in connection with the FBI’s bombshell investigation into NBA gambling.

De’Niro Laster, who was a member of the Wildcats’ football program in 2016 and 2017, was listed in an indictment obtained by the New York Times, according to Jon Hale of the Lexington Herald-Leader. The indictment accuses Laster of aiding in illegal sports betting with then-Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier, who played college basketball at Louisville.

Laster, who is listed as a co-defendant, is accused of using information regarding Rozier’s plan to purposely remove himself from a game in March 2023 during the first quarter, citing an injury, to help manipulate player prop bets. Rozier and Laster attended the same Ohio-based high school together, Cleveland Heights.

Per The Athletic’s reporting, Laster was paid out $100,000 by a man named Marves Fairley, who was also listed as a defendant, for divulging that information, which was then shared with others. Rozier left the aforementioned game early after playing under 10 minutes.

NEW: If the name of Terry Rozier's alleged partner in the FBI gambling probe sounded familiar, that's because he briefly played for UK football https://t.co/umdISjMY73

— Jon Hale (@JonHale_HL) October 23, 2025

Out of high school, Laster was considered a three-star prospect before landing at Minnesota, where he spent his first two college seasons. After redshirting his true freshman campaign in 2013, he appeared in nine games for the Golden Gophers in 2014, totaling six tackles on his way to earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. He transferred to UK ahead of the 2015 season but sat out due to transfer rules. Laster made his Kentucky debut in 2016, playing five games while recording 14 tackles and a sack before an injury ended his year early. He then transferred to North Carolina Central for his final college season.

Laster’s role in this investigation is nothing compared to what is going on with Portland Trail Blazers’ head coach Chauncey Billups, though. Where Rozier — who was actually cleared by the NBA earlier in the year for this same accusation — is being accused of purposefully underperforming to secure player prop bets, Billups (in a separate, but related, indictment) was allegedly helping run an illegal poker scheme that was tied up with the mafia.

Billups and another former NBA player/coach, Damon Jones, were both among the people arrested in connection with this fraudulent poker scheme. This con allegedly goes all the way back to 2019 and includes X-ray machines built into tables to read face-down cards, contact lenses and glasses that read pre-marked cards, and secret cameras in card trays.

Billups, who coached the Trail Blazers’ season-opener on Wednesday night, is not explicitly named in the other indictment that includes Rozier, but The Athletic reports he matches a description for “Co-Conspirator 8”, meaning the Hall of Famer could be tied up in both of these cases. Jones is named in both indictments.

This story is only going to get wilder…