Former NBA player Jontay Porter pled guilty to a federal charge in Brooklyn on Wednesday for his involvement in an illegal sports betting scheme. He admitted to withdrawing from games to secure winning bets for men to whom he owed gambling debts.
As part of an agreement with prosecutors, Porter, 24, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy during an afternoon hearing.
“I knowingly agreed to defraud sports betting companies,” the former Toronto Raptors player told U.S. Magistrate Judge James R. Cho in a prepared statement. “I know what I did was wrong and unlawful.”
Porter Pleads Guilty in Case Over Betting Scandal : Betting Partners Defrauded
The betting companies allegedly defrauded are identified in court papers as “the co-official sports betting partners of the NBA,” which include DraftKings Inc. and FanDuel Inc.
Judge Cho informed Porter that he likely faces between 41 and 51 months in prison when sentenced on Dec. 18, and noted that Porter has already agreed to restitution of $456,000. Porter was released on a $250,000 bond.
