Former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter, in a shocking turn of events, was not just betting on league games but also found to have manipulated his game attendance to aid his friends in winning their wagers on player props. This egregious act led to Porter's permanent ban from the NBA in April. One of the individuals involved in this conspiracy was charged on Tuesday. The federal complaint reveals that Porter's co-conspirators, aware of his mounting gambling debts, allegedly coerced him into participating.
Federal authorities claim that after Porter informed them he would leave the game early on January 26. Long Phi "Bruce" Pham of Brooklyn wagered on Porter to perform poorly against the Los Angeles Clippers. Porter’s co-conspirator won $40,250 thanks to the scam. In addition, Porter is said to have spoken with the group via the Telegram app before to his March 20 game against the Sacramento Kings, which he departed after only three minutes. According to the lawsuit, Pham and his accomplices made over $1 million from the fraud.
Jontay Porter Amassed Massive Gambling Debts
According to the lawsuit, Pham was detained on Monday while attempting to board a one-way aircraft to Australia at JFK Airport in New York. There are still three additional co-conspirators out on bail in this case. Details regarding the other game that was questioned were revealed as well. Porter left a game against the Sacramento Kings in March after less than three minutes. Porter allegedly contacted each of the other conspirators in the case two weeks after the charges surfaced, stating that the group "might just get hit w a rico."
And he asked them if they had erased all traces of the evidence from their phones. Porter informed the coaches he was sick before the game. As a result, Pham and the other conspirators made almost $1 million in profit. Overall, this is a sticky situation for the NBA who is now linked at the hip to gambling, with sportsbooks being some of the league's biggest sponsors.
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