Former NBA Player Jontay Porter Pleads Guilty in Gambling Scheme

Jontay Porter, who was given a lifetime ban from the NBA due to gambling, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces over four years in jail.

Former NBA player Jontay Porter has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, admitting his role in a gambling scheme that led to his lifetime ban from the league.

Porter, in court on Wednesday, expressed remorse for his actions, stating, "I know what I did was wrong, unlawful, and I am deeply sorry." He agreed to withdraw early from games to settle large gambling debts and allow co-conspirators to profit from bets on his performance.

Former NBA Player Jontay Porter Pleads Guilty in Gambling Scheme

The case against Porter is connected to the prosecution of four other individuals facing charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They have not yet entered pleas.

Porter's NBA ban, imposed on April 17, stemmed from investigations revealing that he had shared sensitive information with sports bettors and wagered on league games, violating league rules.

Former NBA Player Jontay Porter Pleads Guilty in Gambling Scheme

The NBA's probe uncovered that prior to a Toronto Raptors game on March 20, Porter disclosed his health status to an individual known to be a bettor. This information was leveraged by another bettor who placed an $80,000 prop bet on Porter's underperformance, potentially netting $1.1 million.

Porter claimed illness and played only three minutes in the game, while the prop bet was eventually frozen and not paid out.

Former NBA Player Jontay Porter Pleads Guilty in Gambling Scheme

Further investigations determined that Porter placed at least 13 bets on NBA games between January and March using an associate's betting account. These bets included wagers on games he did not participate in, and even against his own team.

According to the complaint, one of the four accused individuals pressured Porter to clear his gambling debts by prematurely withdrawing from games, allowing bets on his underperformance to pay off.

In response to the scandal, the NBA has reportedly conducted meetings to explore measures to prevent similar incidents, including eliminating "under" proposition bets.

Porter's sentencing is scheduled for December 18. He is likely to face hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution and potential fines.

Jontay Porter's gambling saga has unfolded alongside personal challenges for his family. His brother Coban is serving a six-year sentence for a fatal DUI crash, while another brother, Michael, is a prominent player for the Denver Nuggets.