NEW YORK — Former Toronto Raptors participant Jontay Porter can be charged with a federal felony related to the sports activities betting scandal that spurred the NBA to ban him, court docket papers point out.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn filed what’s often known as a prison info sheet Tuesday. The doc would not specify a court docket date or the cost or expenses, nevertheless it does present the case is said to an current prosecution of 4 males charged with scheming to money in on ideas from a participant about his plans to exit two video games early.
Porter’s lawyer, Jeff Jensen, mentioned final month that Porter had been “in over his head on account of a playing dependancy” however was getting therapy and cooperating with regulation enforcement.
Brooklyn U.S. Lawyer Breon Peace’s workplace declined to touch upon the brand new developments.
An NBA investigation present in April that Porter tipped off bettors about his well being after which claimed sickness to exit a minimum of one sport, creating wins for anybody who’d wager on him to underperform expectations. Porter additionally gambled on NBA video games by which he did not play, as soon as betting towards his personal workforce, the league mentioned.
The 4 males charged final month appeared in court docket however have not but entered pleas. They’re charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
A court docket criticism accused the 4 — Ammar Awawdeh, Timothy McCormack, Mahmud Mollah and Lengthy Phi Pham — with utilizing prior information of an NBA participant’s plans in order that they or their kin might place profitable bets on his efficiency in Jan. 26 and March 20 video games.
The criticism recognized the athlete solely as “Participant 1,” however particulars — and even a quote from an NBA press launch — matched up with the league’s probe into Porter.
Porter performed solely briefly on Jan. 26 and March 20 earlier than leaving the court docket, complaining of damage or sickness.