A month and a half after the lifetime exclusion of Jontay Porter by the NBA, the investigation into the sports betting scandal surrounding the former Raptors player is accelerating.
American media indeed report the arrest of a man who would be directly connected to this affair. Indicted by federal prosecutors and the FBI, Long Phi Pham, aka “Bruce”, originally from Brooklyn, allegedly bet and coordinated his bets with the former NBA player.
The 38-year-old man was arrested Monday at New York's JFK International Airport, where he is believed to have booked a one-way ticket to Australia. According to the FBI, he had on him “ approximately $12,000 in cash, two checks totaling $80,000, a set of betting slips and three cell phones “. The arrest came after federal investigators attempted to question him the day before.
According to investigators, the suspect, knowing that Jontay Porter intended to withdraw from the match, placed money on the basketball player's performance for the Raptors' match against the Clippers on January 26. The brother of Michael Porter Jr. would have warned that he was going to leave the meeting prematurely, claiming an injury.
A “warning” for professional sport
Three unnamed co-conspirators charged in connection with the case remain at large. Charging documents state that Jontay Porter “ had accumulated significant gambling debts » from Long Phi Pham and others. One of the people still at large would have encouraged the basketball player to pay off his debts by “ withdrawing prematurely from certain matches » to ensure winnings via betting.
According to the United States Attorney General's Office, Long Phi Pham and his accomplices made, thanks to the complicity of Jontay Porter, profits totaling more than $1 million.
“ The defendant and his co-conspirators, along with an NBA player, participated in an illegal betting scheme that detrimentally influenced two games and numerous bets. These lawsuits serve as a warning that fraud and dishonesty in professional sports will not be tolerated “, warned the prosecutor.
| Jontay Porter | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2020-21 | SAME | 11 | 5 | 53.3 | 37.5 | 60.0 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 2.0 |
| 2023-24 | TOR | 26 | 14 | 38.5 | 33.3 | 83.3 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 4.4 |
| Total | 37 | 11 | 40.3 | 33.8 | 78.3 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 3.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
