A Brooklyn man was charged Tuesday in connection with an allegedly illegal sports betting scheme involving Jontay Porter, the former Toronto Raptors player who was banned from the NBA after betting his own team would lose.
After allegedly racking up large gambling debts to co-conspirators in the alleged scheme, Porter, referred to as “Player 1” in the court complaint, was encouraged to pay off those debts by prematurely withdrawing from certain games to ensure that bets on his performance were successful.
According to federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, Long Phi “Bruce” Pham, knowing Porter planned to withdraw from the game, placed bets on Porter’s performance before the Raptors’ game against the LA Clippers on Jan. 26.
Shortly before that match, prosecutors said Porter told Pham he would retire early in the match, claiming he was injured. As a result, a co-conspirator won $40,250.
Pham, 38, was arrested Monday at New York’s JFK Airport as he tried to board a flight to Australia on a one-way ticket, according to the criminal complaint. He was arrested Tuesday while awaiting trial on charges of conspiring to defraud a sports betting company.
Three unnamed co-conspirators charged in the scheme remain at large. It is unclear whether Porter, 24, is being investigated in the criminal case.
Pham and his co-conspirators made a total of more than $1 million in profits, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Whether it’s on the field or in the casino, every point matters,” United States Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement. “As alleged, the defendant and his co-conspirators, as well as an NBA player, participated in a brazen, illegal gambling scheme that corrupted two games and numerous bets.
“This prosecution serves as a warning that fraud and dishonesty in professional sport will not be tolerated and those guilty of this blatant breach of the law will be prosecuted.”
Before a game against the Sacramento Kings on March 20, Pham and co-conspirators discussed in a Telegram group chat that Porter would again leave early, claiming he was feeling ill, according to the indictment.
Pham and his co-conspirators met at an Atlantic City casino and placed several bets on Porter, who withdrew from the March game after playing just three minutes and recording no points, three rebounds and no assists.
On April 4, in a group chat between Porter and the conspirators, Porter wrote to the group that they “might get wa rico,” referring to an extortion accusation, and asked if the group chat participants had “deleted everything (d) the stuff” from their personal cell phones, the complaint said.
Porter was banned by the NBA on April 17 after an investigation.
Aaron Katersky is a senior investigative reporter for ABC News.