In a recent development surrounding the illegal betting scandal involving former NBA player Jontay Porter, four men have been arrested.
According to ESPN, Jeff Jensen, Porter’s legal representative, affirmed his client’s cooperation with law enforcement and emphasized Porter’s commitment to addressing his addiction through treatment.
The latest arrest in the case, Ammar Awawdeh, 32, surrendered himself following the apprehension of three co-defendants earlier in the week, marking a significant development in the ongoing investigation.
Court documents reveal Awawdeh’s alleged involvement in pressuring an NBA athlete, referred to as “Player 1,” to manipulate game outcomes, a scheme devised to settle gambling debts.
Utilizing an encrypted messaging app, Awawdeh purportedly orchestrated a strategy to influence Player 1’s performance, ensuring favorable outcomes for those betting against him.
Although Porter is not directly implicated in the case, the details align with findings from an NBA inquiry that led to his lifetime ban for betting on games and sharing insider information with bettors.
The defendants, including Timothy McCormack, Mahmud Mollah, and Long Phi Pham, face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, with allegations of exploiting inside knowledge for financial gain.
Legal representatives for the accused have refrained from providing detailed comments, with Jeffrey Chartier, McCormack’s attorney, emphasizing the complexity of the case.
