Former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter is facing serious criminal charges for his involvement in one of the biggest scandals in NBA history.
According to a recent Associated Press report, as per ESPN, Porter will be charged with a felony offence from federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York, as shown by court papers.
The document obtained by the Associated Press doesn’t show the court date or specifics on the type and number of charges.
Porter is the fifth person in relation to the scandal to face criminal charges. In early June, Long Phi Pham, who allegedly teamed up with the former Raptors forward to place bets on games they knew he would throw, was arrested at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport while trying to board a flight to Australia. Meanwhile, Timothy McCormack, Mahmud Mollah, and a fourth unnamed co-conspirator were nabbed the next day with wire fraud charges relating to the case.
Porter was banned from the NBA in April for life due to his role in the operation.
“From January through March 2024, while travelling with the Raptors or Raptors 905, the Raptors’ NBA G League affiliate, Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games using an associate’s online betting account,” the NBA’s release read at the time of his banishment.
“These bets ranged in size from $15 to $22,000, for a total of $54,094. The total payout from these bets was $76,059, resulting in net winnings of $21,965. None of the bets involved any game in which Porter played. Three of the bets were multi-game parlay bets that included one Raptors game, in which Porter bet that the Raptors would lose. All three bets lost.”
Porter played 26 games for Toronto this past season before the ban.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA competition for our fans, our teams, and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our gaming rules are being met with the most severe punishment,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.
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