Former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter could face up to 4 years in prison after pleading guilty in a New York federal court Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in an NBA betting scheme.
Porter will be sentenced for his role in the NBA betting scheme on Dec. 18, the Associated Press reported. Previously, he received a lifetime ban from the NBA for his actions.
“I know what I did was wrong, unlawful, and I am deeply sorry,” Porter told Judge James R. Cho at his arraignment and plea agreement hearing in Brooklyn, according to the AP.
Potential punishment for NBA betting
The New York Post reported that prosecutors recommended Porter serve 41 to 51 months in prison.
Porter will owe approximately $456,000 in fines and restitution, according to the Post.
He was released on $250,000 bond, and has to continue counseling for gambling.
Attorney: Porter was cooperating
In order to clear a gambling debt, Porter agreed to throw his performance and check out of a pair of games with fake injuries.
Porter’s attorney had told the AP that he had a gambling addiction and was in over his head.
However, he was cooperating with federal investigators.
NBA betting scheme included others
Four co-conspirators participated in the NBA betting scheme with Porter.
They were all charged and named in the original criminal complaint.
Porter was named as “Player 1” in the original criminal complaint before ultimately being named as a defendant.
Massive parlay placed on Porter
Porter provided inside information to his co-conspirators. One $80,000 parlay wager placed on the ex-Raptor could have netted over $1 million.
However, DraftKings Sportsbook flagged the wager and reported it for suspicious activity. An integrity monitor then alerted the FBI.
Ramifications of NBA betting scheme
Porter was on a two-way contract, meaning he was not a full-time player in the league. He had an NBA salary of about $410,000 for the 2023-24 season.
The Porter scandal has led to the NBA and its sportsbook partners talking about possibly banning prop betting markets on two-way players, according to LSR sources.