Federal Officials Make Arrest in Alleged NBA Betting Scheme Involving Jontay Porter

Brooklyn authorities said he helped former Toronto Raptors guard Jontay Porter in an illegal sports betting scheme, was arrested and detained pending trial.

Long Phi Pham, 38, also known as “Bruce,” was apprehended Monday at John F. Kennedy Airport with a one-way ticket to Australia, according to a criminal complaint filed in Brooklyn federal court.

Pham is accused of working with Porter and three other suspects still at large to defraud sports betting sites by betting on Porter's performance.

Federal authorities allege that Porter accumulated large gambling debts with the co-conspirators and was encouraged to underperform in certain games so that their “prop bets” on his performance would be profitable.

According to the complaint, Pham and the others cashed in on a $10,000 bet on Porter during a Jan. 26 game by betting the “under” on his total points, rebounds and assists. Porter only played four minutes before leaving the game with an alleged eye injury.

Then, on March 20, authorities said Pham and the co-conspirators agreed in a Telegram conversation before the game that Porter would withdraw, saying he was feeling ill. The gamble was met when Porter came out after three minutes, netting the group over $1 million in profit.

Two weeks later, according to the complaint, Porter wrote to the group that they were “in danger of getting hit by Wa Rico,” referring to a racketeering charge, and asked if the group chat participants had “deleted( d) all” of their account. personal cell phones.

If convicted of wire fraud, Pham faces up to 20 years in prison.

The NBA hit Porter with a lifetime ban for his involvement in the alleged scheme, with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver saying: “This is a cardinal sin that he is accused of in the NBA.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jontay Porter gambling scandal: Man arrested in alleged betting scheme