NEW YORK — A New York man was charged Tuesday in a sports betting scandal that engulfed the NBA Ban Jontay Porter for lifewith the charges marking the first known criminal consequences of the case.
Porter is not named in the court complaint, but the details about “Player 1” are consistent with the details of the former Toronto Raptors player’s demise this spring. It is unclear whether Porter himself is being investigated in the criminal case; Brooklyn federal prosecutors declined to comment on whether this is the case.
The court complaint against Long Phi Pham says the player communicated directly with defendant Pham and other conspirators.
Porter’s current contact information could not immediately be located.
According to the complaint, the player told Pham and others via coded messages that he planned to pull himself out of the Jan. 26 and March 20 games early, claiming injury or illness. Porter played 4 minutes and 24 seconds against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first of those games, and then 2 minutes and 43 seconds against the Sacramento Kings in the second game, both times failing to meet the betting lines based on his expected performance .
Pham and other conspirators — whose names are redacted in the court complaint — used that inside information to bet that Porter would underperform, prosecutors allege. According to prosecutors, the bets generated more than $1 million for the group.
A message seeking comment was left for Pham’s attorney. Pham, 38, of Brooklyn, was arrested Tuesday after an initial court appearance. He is accused of conspiring to defraud a sports betting company and is due back in court on Wednesday for a bail hearing.
Brooklyn-based U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said the alleged conspirators participated in a brazen, illegal gambling scheme that corrupted two games and countless bets.
“Whether it’s on the field or in the casino, every point matters,” Peace said in a statement.
The NBA banned Porter in April after a league investigation found that he had disclosed confidential health information to a sports bettor, and that Porter himself had bet on games using someone else’s account — even betting on the Raptors would lose.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the integrity of the NBA league for our fans, our teams and everyone involved in our sport. That is why Jontay Porter’s blatant violations of our Laws of the Game will be punished with the most severe penalties,” said League Commissioner Adam. Silver said this in a press release at the time. Portions of that release are cited in the lawsuit against Pham.
Messages were left seeking comment for the NBA and the Raptors.
Porter was on a so-called two-way contract, meaning he could play for both the Raptors and their G League affiliate. His salary for the year was approximately $410,000; had the Raptors signed him to a standard NBA contract next season, as seemed possible, his salary would have exceeded $2 million.
The 24-year-old Porter averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 26 games, including five starts. He also played in 11 games for Memphis in the 2020-2021 season.
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AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney contributed.