Former Raptors center Jontay Porter faces federal charges for his role in alleged sports betting operation

Lina Portman3 days ago

0 1 minute read

Former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter faces federal charges for his role in a sports betting operation that has already resulted in four indictments. He is expected to plead guilty on July 10, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York.

Porter faces a criminal charge filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York confirmed the criminal charge. A federal court filing Tuesday indicated he would be the defendant in a case brought by the Justice Department. No arrest warrant has yet been issued, according to the filing.

Last month, four men were indicted on charges of conspiring to defraud a sports betting company. Porter was not named as a defendant, but he is believed to be the No. 1 player in the criminal complaint that outlined their alleged scheme.

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The NBA suspended Porter in April for his role in the betting scandal. The league and the federal government said he intentionally compromised his game so others could make money by betting on the fewest points on bets on him for games on Jan. 26 and March 20. He also bet on NBA games, the league said.

According to the complaint, Porter allegedly had large gambling debts and saw an opportunity to clear them by helping gamblers win bets on him. He told one defendant he would withdraw from the Jan. 26 game because of an eye injury suffered in the Raptors' previous game. He played only four minutes that night.

Porter also told other participants in a focus group that he would withdraw early from the March 20 game, saying he was ill. He ultimately played only three minutes in that game against the Sacramento Kings.

According to the federal complaint, bettors won more than $1 million from Porter's prop bets, including an $80,000 accumulator bet that paid off for $1.1 million.