Ex-Raptors’ Jontay Porter to Plead Guilty to Felony Charges in Betting Scandal
Ex-Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter, who was kicked out of the NBA for life in April because of an insider betting scandal, will face federal criminal charges.
On Tuesday, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn filed a criminal information sheet indicating Porter will face unspecified felony charges. That’s for his alleged role in a conspiracy that saw him compromise his own play to benefit a New York-based gambling ring.
A spokesperson for the DA’s Office told The Athletic Wednesday that Porter is expected to plead guilty to the charges on July 10. He is also the subject of a criminal investigation in Canada.
Winnings Frozen
Prosecutors believe Porter also provided information about his fitness to the gang, which would have won US$1,272,875 from betting the under on the athlete via DraftKings and FanDuel. However, the lion’s share of those winnings was frozen by the sportsbooks when they detected suspicious betting patterns.
The syndicate placed bets on Porter to underperform in the Raptors January 26 game against the Los Angeles Clippers and a March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings, both losses for the Raptors.
A sudden flurry of large winning bets on such a specific aspect of the Kings game proved to be a red flag for match fixing. At least one betting account was immediately suspended and the sportsbooks reported their concerns to the NBA.
Four members of the betting syndicate have been arrested by federal authorities, one while apparently attempting to flee the US. They face wire fraud charges that come with a maximum 20-year sentence.
Porter Owed Gambling Debts
Prosecutors will allege Porter agreed to the scheme because he had amassed large gambling debts to the group. The athlete was in contact with co-conspirators via a Telegram messaging group where details of the scheme were discussed. That’s according to the indictments of the four others, which refer to Porter only as “Player 1.”
On April 4, the day Porter was banned by the NBA, he told his coconspirators that they “might just get hit w a rico” – a reference to federal anti-racketeering charges. He also instructed them to delete their cell phone records, according to the indictments.
Porter’s lawyer, Jeff Jensen, has said his client “got in over his head” because of problems with gambling addiction.
Porter is the first player to be dealt a lifetime ban for gambling since Jack Molinas in 1954. Molinas was a key figure in one of basketball’s most notorious points-shaving scandals.
In relation to the gambling ring's activities, the syndicate attempted to win significant sums by betting on Porter's underperformance, specifically in his games against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Sacramento Kings. Meanwhile, following his involvement in the scandal, Porter's lawyer acknowledged his client's struggles with gambling addiction.
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