Former NBA player Jontay Porter, who was banned for life by the league after playing in games he attended as a member of the Toronto Raptors, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit radio fraud in connection with the scandal.
Porter, who was indicted along with four co-conspirators earlier this month by prosecutors in Brooklyn, pleaded guilty at a court hearing Wednesday.
The disgraced player, the brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr., faced a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted at trial. However, The Associated Press says he faces a sentence of three and a half years to just over four years when he is sentenced on Dec. 18, 2024. As part of his plea agreement, Porter will not appeal a sentence of less than five years, reports ABC News.
“I knew what I did was wrong and illegal and I am deeply sorry for my behavior,” Porter told the judge. His lawyer added that Porter became addicted to gambling and racked up large debts ahead of the scheme to derail his own performance at games for the benefit of his co-conspirators.
In April, following a league investigation instigated by a legal sports betting operator, the NBA charged Porter with violating the league's anti-gambling rules, alleging that he had provided information to sports players and withdrawn from games to help his conspirators to secure “unders” in prop bets based on his performance.
In a March 20 game between the Raptors and the Sacramento Kings, Porter played just three minutes of a game before “claiming he was feeling sick,” the statement said. Porter also bet on NBA games, according to the league's statement, including betting on his own Raptors losing. “Three of the bets were multi-game bets involving a Raptors game, in which Porter bet the Raptors would lose. All three bets were lost,” the league found.
In total, Porter reportedly wagered a total of $54,094 and received a payout of $76,059, for a net profit of $21,965. Porter's NBA salary was about $410,000.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of NBA games for our fans, our teams and everyone associated with our sport, which is why Jontay Porter's egregious violations of gambling rules are being treated with more severe punishment,” said NBA commissioner Adam. Silver said in April when the league banned Porter for life.
“While legal sports betting creates transparency that helps identify suspicious or abnormal activity, this issue also raises important questions about the adequacy of the current regulatory framework, including the types of bets offered on our games and players,” continued Silver. “Working closely with all relevant stakeholders across the industry, we will continue to work diligently to protect our league and our game.”
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