Jontay Porter, the former Toronto Raptor who the NBA banned for life in April after an investigation into his sports betting habits, will face federal criminal charges, new court documents show.
Federal prosecutors linked Porter to a case of four men who have been charged with scheming with a player to make bets. So far, that player has only been referred to as “Player 1,” but the descriptions used line up with Porter’s activities. The criminal information sheet, which doesn’t have any charges for the former player or a court date, was filed Tuesday in Brooklyn.
The four men face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The complaint says they worked with Porter to place large bets on games where he agreed to take himself out early. Porter himself reportedly bet millions between 2021 and 2023. One of them was dramatically arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport trying to flee the country with two cashier’s checks worth $80,000 and $12,000 in cash, and betting slips.
The amount of high-profile scandals has increased in recent years since the practice became more widely legalized in 2018.
Several athletes just this year have been tied to betting scandals, including the interpreter of Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, Ippei Mizuhara, Padres player Tucupita Marcano, and minor leaguer David Fletcher, a friend of Ohtani. Mizuhara pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing millions from Ohtani and committing tax fraud. Former MLB player Yasiel Puig Valdés pleaded guilty to federal charges tied to sports betting in 2022.
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