New York man apparently linked to Jontay Porter betting scheme arrested

Porter, who played for the Toronto Raptors, was found by the NBA to have “violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes and betting on NBA games.”

On Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced that Brooklyn resident Long Phi Pham, also known as “Bruce,” was charged with wire fraud conspiracy. Pham, 38, was reportedly apprehended the day before at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport as he prepared to board a flight to Australia that he had booked as a one-way ticket.

In addition to coordinating with Player 1, Pham allegedly worked in collaboration with three co-conspirators who were also indicted but remain at large. Their names were redacted from the charging document.

“Whether on the field or in the casino, every point counts. “As has been alleged, the defendant and his co-conspirators, along with an NBA player, participated in a brazen and illegal betting scheme that had a corrupting influence on two games and numerous bets,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. “These prosecutions serve as a warning that fraud and dishonesty in professional sports will not be tolerated and those who engage in this blatant disregard for the law will be prosecuted. »

According to the charging document, Player 1 had accumulated “significant gambling debts” with one of the co-conspirators. That person then encouraged the player to “wipe out those debts,” according to authorities, by leaving games early to ensure his stats remained below the levels set by prop bets at NBA-affiliated gaming companies.

This arrangement has been described as “special”. Tuesday's court filing alleges that Player 1 used the messaging app Telegram to tell a co-conspirator, “If I don't make a special with your terms.” Then it's over. And you hate me and if I don't get you $8,000 by Friday, you're coming to Toronto to beat me.

Player 1 then allegedly used Telegram to tell Pham and the three others that he would withdraw early from the January 26 and March 20 competitions. In Raptors games on those dates, Porter cited minor issues leaving after only a few minutes of action and minor bumps in the box score.

For the January 26 game, some of the co-conspirators' winnings were described as $85,000, on a $10,000 bet placed by a relative of one of them, and $40,250 on a $7,000 bet. In each case, according to federal prosecutors, the bets were bets based on taking into account lower categories than Player 1's performance, such as three-point shots and assists.

Before the March game, Player 1 allegedly made a deal with the group via Telegram whereby he, Pham and one of the co-conspirators would each get approximately 24% of the winnings.

“After playing only three minutes and recording zero points, three rebounds, and zero assists, Player 1 withdrew from the March 20 game, complaining of feeling ill,” the charging document states. “Several bettors, including co-conspirators, who underbet on side bets tied to Player 1's performance won those bets.

“In total,” authorities said, “the defendant and his co-conspirators made more than $1 million in profits.”

The betting companies reportedly spotted suspicious activity regarding prop bets in these games and reported it to the NBA and the International Betting Integrity Association, who in turn alerted the FBI.

On April 4, prosecutors say, Player 1 wrote in a group chat with the co-conspirators that they “might just get hit.”[ith] a rico,” apparently referring to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. Player 1 would have asked if everyone had “deleted”[d] all that” from their cell phones.

A day after federal agents attempted to question a co-conspirator on May 30, according to court records, Pham booked his one-way ticket to Australia. Among the items allegedly in his possession at the time of his apprehension at the airport were “$12,000 in cash; two cashier's checks totaling $80,000; a series of betting slips; and three cell phones.

Pham, who was reportedly detained while awaiting trial, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of wire fraud.

Prosecutors did not immediately respond Tuesday evening to a request for comment on whether “Player 1” was also under consideration for possible federal charges related to the case.

Porter, 24, is the younger brother of Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. who went undrafted in 2019 out of Missouri before spending time with the Memphis Grizzlies and in the NBA's G League. When the NBA issued its ban in April, Commissioner Adam Silver said Porter's “egregious violations of our rules of the game were met with the most severe penalty.”

“While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or anomalous activity,” Silver added at the time, “this issue also raises important questions about the sufficiency of the regulatory framework currently in place, including including the types of bets offered on our games and players, working closely with all relevant industry stakeholders, we will continue to work diligently to protect our league and our game.”

Elsewhere on Tuesday, San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano became the first person since Pete Rose in 1989 to be declared permanently ineligible by Major League Baseball for betting on baseball. Four other players, including one also from the Padres organization as well as a member of the Oakland Athletics and the minor leagues of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies, were banned for one year.