Former NBA player Jontay Porter entered into a plea deal in court on Wednesday, admitting to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a case related to a gambling scandal that resulted in his expulsion from the league earlier this year. The ex-Toronto Raptors centre made the plea during his arraignment in a New York federal court and was granted release on bond of $250,000.
Porter’s legal representative had previously stated that his client was cooperating with authorities while receiving treatment for a gambling addiction. Court documents revealed that Porter’s case is connected to the ongoing legal pursuit of four other individuals who have been arraigned on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud but have not yet entered any pleas.
The individuals in question are accused of scheming to profit from inside information provided by an NBA player, allowing them to place winning bets on the player’s underperformance in two specific games. While the athlete was not named in the complaint, the details recounted in the court filing were consistent with an NBA investigation that led to Porter’s removal from the league earlier in the year. The investigation concluded that he had engaged in gambling on NBA games and had leaked confidential details about his health to bettors.
During his court appearance, Porter acknowledged agreeing to exit games prematurely in order to alleviate substantial gambling debts, thus enabling himself and other co-conspirators to secure bets on his performance. His statement included an expression of remorse, acknowledging the wrongful and illegal nature of his actions.
Porter has been scheduled for sentencing on December 18 and could face a prison term ranging from just under three and a half years to a little over four years. In addition, he may be required to make restitution amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars, as well as possible fines.
According to the complaint, one of the four men had pressured the player to absolve his gambling debts by leaving games early, a move that would enable them to profit from bets on his subpar performance. The player had responded to the man’s demands with a message indicating that failure to comply would result in consequences.
Following an internal investigation by the NBA and other parties, the athlete communicated to some of the men that they might face legal repercussions for their activities. The league’s inquiry revealed that Porter had not only exited a game to benefit gamblers but had also placed bets on NBA matches in which he was not participating, even betting against his own team.
Porter’s NBA career saw him averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 26 games this season, including five starts. Prior to this, he had played 11 games for the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2020-21 season and had been earning a salary of approximately $410,000.
This information was provided by The Associated Press.