A Brooklyn man has been charged in connection with an alleged illegal sports betting scheme involving former Raptors player Jontay Porter, who received a lifetime ban from the NBA for his actions.
After allegedly racking up large gambling debts to co-conspirators in the scheme, Porter was encouraged to clear his debts by exiting NBA games early to ensure that the bets hit.
38-year-old Long Phi “Bruce” Pham was arrested at JFK Airport in New York on Monday as he tried to board a flight to Australia on a one-way ticket, according to the criminal complaint filed in a Brooklyn court.
Before a Raptors vs Clippers game on January 26, prosecutors said Porter informed Pham that he would exit the game early and claim he was injured.
With this information, Pham placed bets on Porter and won $40,250.
24-year-old Porter communicated with Pham and others in a Telegram chat to inform them before another game on March 20 against the Kings that he would pretend to be sick to leave early.
Pham and others allegedly agreed to share profits from their winnings with Porter before placing bets on him at a casino in Atlantic City.
Pham and his co-conspirators collectively made over $1 million in profits from all the bets, as reported by the United States Attorney’s Office.
“Whether on the court or in the casino, every point matters,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “As alleged, the defendant and his co-conspirators, along with 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.”
Three unnamed co-conspirators charged in the scheme are yet to be arrested.
It’s currently unclear whether Porter is also under investigation in the criminal case.
