A New York man has been charged in connection with a sports betting scandal involving former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter, which led the NBA to ban Porter for life. The charges are the first known criminal fallout from the scandal. The player, referred to as “Player 1” in court documents, is accused of participating in an illegal betting scheme with the defendant Long Phi Pham and other co-conspirators. The scheme involved manipulating games to influence betting outcomes.
According to the complaint, the player owed significant gambling debts and was encouraged to bow out of games strategically to settle them. This involved underperforming in games to benefit those who knew about the scheme and had bet on him not meeting expectations. The complaint details specific instances where the player exited games early, resulting in financial gains for the co-conspirators.
The NBA banned Porter in April after an investigation found that he disclosed confidential information to a sports bettor and bet on games in which he did not play. The league cited the protection of the integrity of NBA competition as the reason for the severe punishment. Porter had an average season with the Raptors, playing in 26 games and averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.
The accused, Pham, is being detained after an initial court appearance and is charged with conspiring to defraud a sports betting company. The NBA, Raptors, and federal prosecutors are all involved in investigating the scandal. The court complaint provides insight into the elaborate scheme and the financial gains made by the conspirators.
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