Former NBA player Jontay Porter, who the league banned in April for partaking in a scheme where he bet against himself in games where he feigned injury, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud at his arraignment Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge James Cho. The felony carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, though Porter will receive a much shorter sentence given that he pled guilty and is cooperating with law enforcement.
Porter last played for the Toronto Raptors and is connected to an alleged conspiracy U.S. Attorney Breon Peace has described as a “brazen, illegal betting scheme that had a corrupting influence on two [NBA] games and numerous bets.”
As detailed by prosecutors who cite text, cell phone records and wire transfer data as evidence of the conspiracy, Porter’s four co-conspirators played roles in the placing of prop bets, which are wagers on a player’s statistical performance, on games where they knew Porter would withdraw for supposed health reasons. In text messages Porter expressed worry that if he didn’t go along with the plan, another co-conspirator might “come to Toronto to beat me up.”
Porter, whose older brother Michael plays for the Denver Nuggets, will be sentenced Dec. 18. The more cooperative Porter is with prosecutors, the more likely his pre-sentencing report will present a favorable depiction and recommend a relatively short sentence. Porter, 24, may need to share electronic records and agree to testify against his co-conspirators in court.
According to courtroom observers at Wednesday’s arraignment, Porter explicitly acknowledged what he “did was wrong [and] unlawful” and added he was “deeply sorry.” Porter’s attorneys have said he is being treated for a gambling addiction.
Last month marked the 33-year anniversary of multiple major sports league commissioners urging Congress to ban sports betting. Given the many leagues now partnering with sports betting companies, times have certainly changed.
(This article has been corrected in the last paragraph to clarify that it was the 33rd anniversary of commissioners urging a sports betting ban.)