The lawyer representing Jontay Porter, the Toronto Raptors ahead who was given a lifetime ban by the NBA for betting on his sport, mentioned his shopper was “in over his head” coping with a playing habit.
In an announcement despatched to The Related Press, Porter’s lawyer, Jeff Jensen, mentioned the Raptors ahead is present process therapy and cooperating with authorities.
“Jontay is an effective younger man with sturdy religion that can get him via this. He was in over his head as a result of a playing habit,” the assertion learn. “He’s present process therapy and has been absolutely cooperative with legislation enforcement.”
The scandal involving Porter has now seen a fourth particular person arrested as 32-year-old Ammar Awawdeh turned himself in Friday. Three co-defendants have been taken in earlier this week, together with Lengthy Phi Pham, who was apprehended whereas making an attempt to board a flight to Australia with a one-way ticket at John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport in New York. He reportedly had $12,000 in money, two cashier’s checks totaling $80,000, betting slips and three cell telephones on his particular person.
A courtroom grievance accuses Awawdeh of urgent an NBA participant, recognized as “Participant 1,” to maintain playing money owed by leaving video games early, which might assure payouts for many who guess on Porter to underperform in these video games.
Awawdeh used an encrypted messaging app to say he was “forcing” the to participant to do it and advised “Participant 1” to “Screenshot this,” based on the grievance.
Awawdeh was arraigned and launched on $100,000 bond to house detention with an ankle monitor.
Porter just isn’t named within the grievance neither is he at the moment charged.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and have but to enter pleas.
The NBA’s investigation discovered that Porter purposely restricted his participation within the Raptors’ March 20 sport in opposition to the Sacramento Kings particularly to affect the result of a number of bets on his efficiency. In opposition to the Brooklyn Nets, Porter claimed he felt sick after taking part in simply three minutes.
The NBA additionally discovered that previous to the sport, Porter disclosed confidential details about his well being standing to “a person he knew to be an NBA bettor.” A distinct particular person related to Porter additionally guess that Porter would underperform March 20 as a part of an $80,000 parlay the bettor positioned with an internet sports activities ebook.
From January via March 2024, whereas touring with the Raptors and the Raptors’ G League group, Porter positioned at the least 13 bets on NBA video games utilizing another person’s betting account. These bets ranged from $15 to $22,000 for a complete of $54,094. The full payout from these bets was $76,059, leading to winnings of $21,965. Not one of the bets concerned a sport wherein Porter performed, however he did guess on the Raptors to lose as a part of three completely different parlay bets. All three bets misplaced.
