Former NBA player Jontay Porter admitted Wednesday to conspiring to withdraw from games to benefit a gambling scheme, pleading guilty to a federal conspiracy charge. This scandal had already led to his expulsion from the league.
“I know what I did was wrong, unlawful, and I am deeply sorry,” the former Toronto Raptors center said during his plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Porter acknowledged that he conspired with others to exit games early, enabling co-conspirators to win bets based on his underperformance. He admitted his actions were driven by a need to clear substantial gambling debts.
Porter, 24, is out on a $250,000 bond pending his sentencing on Dec. 18. Prosecutors anticipate his sentence to range from just under three and a half years to a little over four years in prison, though a judge could impose a sentence ranging from no time to 20 years.
Porter is also expected to face restitution and fines amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Neither Porter nor his attorney, Jeff Jensen, commented to reporters after the court session. Jensen, via email, referred to a prior statement where he noted Porter’s gambling addiction: “Jontay is a good young man with strong faith that will get him through this.”
Porter informed the court he has undergone inpatient rehabilitation for his gambling problem and continues to receive therapy.
In a related case, four men face charges for exploiting insider information provided by an NBA player who would exit two games early. These individuals, or their associates, placed winning bets on the player’s poor performance based on the insider tip.
They have not yet entered pleas. The complaint did not name the player, but details aligned with the NBA’s investigation that implicated Porter. The league’s probe revealed Porter disclosed confidential health information, exited at least one game due to bets, and wagered on NBA games he did not participate in, including betting against his own team.
According to the complaint, one of the four men pressured the player to clear gambling debts by exiting games prematurely to ensure bets on his underperformance would succeed. In a message to the individual, the player wrote, “u hate me and if I don’t get u 8k by Friday you’re coming to Toronto to beat me up.”
The complaint detailed that after tipping off some of the men, the player exited the Jan. 26 and March 20 games after only a few minutes on the court, citing injury or illness. His performance in both games fell below sportsbooks’ expectations.
Some of the conspirators had agreed to share approximately a quarter of the winnings from the March 20 game with the player. One gambler was poised to collect over $1 million before a betting company intervened and prevented most of the payout.
Following the start of investigations by the NBA and others, the player messaged his co-conspirators suggesting they “might just get hit w a rico,” referring to a federal racketeering charge. The complaint also noted the player urged the men to delete incriminating messages from their phones.
Porter averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 26 games this season, including five starts. He previously played 11 games for the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2020-21 season, earning an NBA salary of approximately $410,000.
