Jontay Porter pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in an NBA betting scandal. [Image: Shutterstock.com]
Jontay Porter, formerly of the Toronto Raptors, has admitted that he intentionally withdrew from NBA games early to influence betting. The 24-year-old pleaded guilty on Wednesday in a Brooklyn federal court to a conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge and apologized for his actions, saying: “I know what I did was wrong, unlawful, and I am deeply sorry.”
Porter is looking at prison time
Porter already received a lifetime ban from the league in April and will be sentenced in the criminal case on December 18. Porter is looking at prison time, with prosecutors in the case seeking a term of somewhere between three years and a little over four years. Fines and restitution could also be part of the punishment.
Porter racked up significant gambling debts while playing in the NBA, which led to his creditors telling him to withdraw early from two games to ensure that he didn’t meet the target for over/under player prop bets.
Four other men charged in the case placed bets Porter unders for games in January and March, bets which were flagged as suspicious by the sportsbook operator that accepted them. It also froze a seven-figure payout to one of the men.
