Banned NBA player Jontay Porter to face federal charges in connection with gambling case, court documents say
By Celina Tebor, CNN
(CNN) — Prosecutors are preparing to file federal charges against banned NBA player Jontay Porter in connection to an alleged sports betting scheme, according to court filings.
The court records don’t specify the felony charges against Porter. John Marzulli, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, confirmed Wednesday the case was connected with four men who were recently arrested.
The NBA banned the Toronto Raptors player in April for violating the league’s gambling rules.
An attorney for Porter, Jeff Jensen, didn’t immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment.
In June, Long Phi Pham, a Brooklyn man, was charged with conspiring with three others to defraud a sports betting company by placing wagers on an NBA player who was later banned, according to a federal complaint.
Pham took part in a scheme to place “under prop” bets on the player – determined by CNN at the time to be Porter – in January 26 and March 20 games, prosecutors allege. Court records allege Pham and the others knew the player would take himself out of games early claiming illness or injury, so the bettors would win their wagers.
Court documents show Porter’s criminal case is related to Pham’s, in addition to cases against Ammar Awawdeh, Timothy McCormack and Mahmud Mollah.
The latter three were not previously publicly named in the federal complaint.
All four defendants waived their preliminary hearings, according to court filings.
CNN has reached out to attorneys for Pham, Awawdeh, and Mollah for comment. Court filings didn’t list an attorney representing McCormack.
Porter, 24, played parts of two NBA seasons, averaging 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 37 games.
The-CNN-Wire
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