A Brooklyn man was charged Tuesday in connection with an alleged illegal sports betting scheme involving Jontay Porter, the former Toronto Raptors player who received a lifetime ban from the NBA after he bet on his own team to lose.
After allegedly amassing large gambling debts to co-conspirators in the alleged scheme, Porter was encouraged to clear those debts by withdrawing from certain games prematurely to make sure bets on his performance were successful.
Porter pretended to be injured before a game between the Raptors and LA Clippers on Jan. 26. According to federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, Long Phi “Bruce” Pham placed bets on Porter’s performance, knowing Porter planned to withdraw from the game.
Shortly before that game, prosecutors said Porter told Pham he would be removing himself early from the game, claiming he was injured. As a result, a co-conspirator won $40,250.
Pham was ordered detained pending trial. Three co-conspirators charged in the scheme remain at large.
“Whether on the court 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 betting scheme that had a corrupting influence on two games and numerous bets.
“This prosecution serves as a warning that fraud and dishonesty in professional sports will not be tolerated and those who engage in this flagrant flouting of the law will be prosecuted.”
Prior to a game on March 20, Pham and his co-conspirators discussed in a Telegram group chat that Porter would be removing himself early from the game, claiming he felt ill, according to the criminal complaint.
Pham and his co-conspirators met at a casino in Atlantic City and placed several bets on Porter, who removed himself from the game after playing just three minutes and recording no points, 3 rebounds and no assists.
On April 4, in a group chat between Porter and the conspirators, Porter wrote to the group that they “might just get hit w a rico,” referring to a racketeering charge, and asked if the group chat participants had “delete[d] all the stuff” from their personal cell phones, according to the complaint.
Aaron Katersky is a senior investigative reporter for ABC News.