Ancient Birds of prey big man Jontay Porter pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Jennifer Peltz of the Associated Press reports.
“I know what I did was wrong, illegal, and I am deeply sorry.” said Porter, who was released on $250,000 bail signed by his mother and wife, according to Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Porter is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 18 in New York.
Prosecutors have estimated that Porter could face 41 to 51 months in prison, but the judge will have the final say, who could impose no sentence or sentence her to a maximum of 20 years. The 24-year-old also faces “hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution and fines,” Peltz said.
Porter, who told the court he was in therapy and had undergone inpatient rehabilitation for a gambling addiction, was banned from the NBA in April following an investigation into betting irregularities.
Porter is connected to another federal case involving four men who are also charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The defendants are accused of profiting from prop bets knowing Porter would leave a pair of games early. The complaint also alleges that Porter — who is not identified by name but fits the description of the player described — was supposed to receive a portion of the winnings. Porter was allegedly pressured by one of the defendants because of unpaid gambling debts. The four defendants have not yet entered pleas.
In 26 games for Toronto in 2023-24, Porter averaged 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 13.8 minutes per game. He earned $415,000 last season while on a two-way contract with the Raptors.
News Source : www.hoopsrumors.com
Gn sports
