Former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter will face federal felony charges connected to the sports betting scandal that saw him banned for life from the NBA.
According to the Associated Press, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn filed charges against Porter.
Jeff Jensen, Porter’s lawyer, said last month that Porter had been “in over his head due to a gambling addiction” but was getting treatment and cooperating with law enforcement.
Porter was previously unnamed as charges were brought against four other man who allegedly were involved with Porter, which saw the 24-year-old manipulate his on-court performance to affect betting outcomes.
Porter was officially banned from the NBA earlier this year after the NBA found Porter violated league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors. He also limited his own participation in one or more games in connection to the bets and he bet on NBA games as well.
According to the court complaint, Porter owed “significant gambling debts” and was encouraged to settle them with a “special” to intentionally exiting games early.
Porter exited two Raptors games on January 26 and March 20, due to what he said were illnesses. In both occasions, the co-conspirators placed significant wagers on Porter to underperform his expected stats and he followed through.
Porter is also reportedly being investigated by the Ontario Provincial Police for these allegations, according to ESPN.
Porter’s salary with the Raptors for this year was around $410,000. He averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 26 games this season, which included five starts.
Baylor head coach Scott Drew talks about Ja’Kobe Walter being drafted by the Raptors
The Toronto Raptors selected Ja’Kobe Walter out of Baylor with the No. 19 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
After falling out of the lottery, Toronto pivoted to the 6’4 guard later in the draft to strengthen their guard room.
He averaged 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 35 starts for the Bears and ultimately became the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. He shot 37.6 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from three.
Now, Walter prepares for his rookie season with the Raptors. Baylor’s head coach Scott Drew spoke to what his former point guard brings to the table.
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