New York man charged in sports betting scandal that led to former Raptor Jontay Porter's ban from NBA
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A New York man was charged Tuesday in a sports betting scandal that spurred the NBA to ban Jontay Porter for life, with the charges marking the first known criminal fallout from the matter.
A New York man was charged Tuesday in a sports betting scandal that spurred the NBA to ban Jontay Porter for life, with the charges marking the first known criminal fallout from the matter.
Porter isn't named in the court complaint, but its specifics about "Player 1" match the details of the former Toronto Raptors player's downfall this spring. It's unclear whether Porter himself is under investigation in the criminal case -- Brooklyn federal prosecutors declined to comment on whether he is.
The court complaint against Long Phi Pham says the player communicated directly with defendant Pham and other conspirators.
Current contact information for Porter couldn't immediately be found.
According to the complaint, the player told Pham and others, via encrypted messages, that he planned to take himself out of Jan. 26 and March 20 games early, claiming injury or illness. Porter played 4 minutes, 24 seconds against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first of those games, then 2 minutes 43 seconds against the Sacramento Kings in the second game, both times falling short of wagering lines based on his expected performance.
Pham and other conspirators -- whose names are redacted in the court complaint -- used that advance knowledge to place bets on Porter underperforming, prosecutors allege. The bets paid off to the tune of more than $1 million for the group, according to prosecutors.
A message seeking comment was left for Pham's lawyer. Pham, 38, of Brooklyn, was being detained after an initial court appearance Tuesday. Accused of conspiring to defraud a sports betting company, he's due back in court Wednesday for a bail hearing.
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